CM appeals all to follow quarantine protocol
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 05 2020:
Chief Minister N Biren Singh has appealed to all returnees to the State to follow the quarantine protocol and SoPs laid down by the Health Department.
The appeal came in the wake of multiple incident of flouting quarantine protocol by some individuals, including an MLA from Churachandpur district who reportedly went straight for home quarantine yesterday, which is in total contravention to the State Government's order that returnees to the State should be initially put in institutional or community quarantine centres before testing.
Speaking on the sideline of a tree plantation programme organized today in commemoration of the World Environment Day on the theme "Biodiversity" at Rani Gaidinliu Park, Mantripukhri, the Chief Minister went on to categorically say that returnees will be sent home only when they are tested negative.
He said that COVID-19 pandemic can be contained only when the protocol, SoPs and advisories lay down by the WHO, Health Department and health experts are properly implemented in the State.
The Chief Minister added that community transmission of COVID-19 can happen in the State if people flout the protocol, SoPs and health advisories which in turn create a very grave situation for the State's whole population.
Observing that fighting CO VID-19 needs a collective and holistic effort of all sections in the society, Biren lauded the concerted efforts of the frontline warriors, CSOs, community leaders, transporter unions, local MLAs and the public for successfully preventing community transmission in the State.
He also said that it might not have been impossible to bring back over 30,000 returnees to the State and run quarantine centres without cooperation from all sections of the society.
Stressing on the main purpose of observing World Environment Day and planting tree saplings at three historic places today, the Chief Minister said that the adverse impacts of environmental degradation could be tangibly felt in the State in so many ways, including rainfall and temperature.
He said that mass scale deforestation in hills and valley areas and rampant killing of birds and wild animals have led to drastic changes in the environment.
Maintaining that protecting wildlife and nature and conserving environment is a must for continual existence of human beings, Biren warned that human beings may face total extinction someday if the present generation fails to seriously ponder on the ever increasing level of environmental degradation and go on selfishly destructing the same.
He then asked the hills and valley people to launch extensive afforestation campaigns and protect wild animals and birds to regenerate the earth.
The State Government has been carrying out mass scale plantation of tree saplings on different occasions in tandem with the Green Manipur Mission which was launched last year.
The Chief Minister also exhorted the masses to keep their local environment neat and clean, saying that the current pandemic is a stark reminder to the human race not to pollute/contaminate their surroundings.
Many other Ministers and MLAs, including the newly inducted Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Awangbou Newmai, CAF&PD Minister Karam Shyam, Deputy Speaker K Robindro, MLAs K Leishiyo, T Satyabrata, H Dingo were also present at the tree plantation programme.
Earlier in the morning, the Chief Minister also led the Ministers and MLAs in planting trees at Bir Tikendrajit Park and Maharaja Gambhir Singh Samadhi as part of the World Environment Day observance.
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