COVID-19: PLANNING INTER-STATE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS DURING PANDEMIC SITUATION IN INDIA

I was one of NDMA’s team deputed to assist Uttarakhand state in the aftermath of Kedarnath flash flood. I still remember the chaotic situation Kedarnath flash flood in Uttarakhand. Teams from different states arrived to Dehradun to locate and transfer their respective citizens from an unknown list of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Variables were many for the host state of Uttarakhand. There priorities were – conduct search and rescue operation, recover dead bodies and identify them, arranging shelters for those rescued, arranging and managing relief supplies etc. Delayed interaction with representatives coming from other states created lots of anxious moments and many state representatives started own hunt through local guides to locate and dispatch their citizens. Absent centralized system for locating, identifying, registering and transporting rescued pilgrims added multiple challenges to local administration including settlement of relief / compensation.

2. Resources of states/UT affected by COVID-19 are already overwhelmed in managing “stay-home” compliance, tracking and treating infected people, and managing shelters (logistics like stay, food etc.) for stranded migrants. GoI’s order on transferring / receiving migrants is “easier said than done”. Planning and establishing protocol for affecting transfer of migrant / others is an inter-state issue and States with diversified socio-political-economical foot prints would not be able to handle that. Central Government should issue standard protocol, with minute details in it.  Disaster response is State subject but under global pandemic situation role of national government is more prominent compared to state. GoI order on transferring migrants should be combining with planning and resource support from National Government. I have followings suggestions  

1.      Transferring migrants and others is an “inter-state issue” and for ensuing uniformity across the country, GoI should prepare and issue standard protocol to be followed by all state.  

2.      This is also important that standard transfer protocol prepared by GoI is sensitive to - those with small children, physically challenged, senior citizens and women. Transfer of people falling under special category should be made first on priority followed by others.

3.      In addition to protocol, GoI should prepare standard format for listing migrants / others needing transfer. Details like name, DOB, gender, destination (address – City –PIN code- State), number of family members accompanying, DOB of each family member along with gender, if any one is physically challenged should be considered for inclusion in the format.

4.      State should be entrusted to prepare list of migrants / others camping in their jurisdiction and fill details in GoI format online.

5.      “Electronic Transfer Token” should be issued with the serial number and group number based on priority and PIN code associated with individual by GoI for each migrant and sent to State commence screening in sequence and keep groups in readiness.

6.      GoI should entrust ITDC for making all travel arrangements under a strategy drawn. ITDC should select more then one (1-5) location in each state for disembarking transferred migrants in consultation with State tourism development corporations in order to dilute crowding at one location allowing convenient sheltering and screening before migrants are allowed to go home. Itinerary of buses should be sent to each state nodal officer appointed under the MHA order.

There are multiple things which will go concurrent in the whole process. I also feel that at the state level, a team of officers from departments like –health, civil supplies, R&B, revenue, State truism, and Home should be constituted to assist state nodal officer.

Planning and resource support from Government of India will be crucial for transferring migrants in smooth manner. These people have already suffered much and any mishandling at this stage will break them morally. These people deserves a descent and honourable “send off”. Let there be no crowd while boarding or disembarking buses. Let there be “verified arrangements” at other end for receiving, sheltering (with required logistics) screening and allowing them to “go home”. 

In addition to issuing orders, National Government should look in to all aspects of planning and establishing a mechanism for smooth inter-state transfer of migrants to bring an end to the miseries of help-less.