Following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka that borders Talavadi, the district police have intensified checks at the inter-State border from Tuesday to prevent people from Karnataka entering into the State.
Ramapuram, Arulvadi, Bisalvadi, Ellakattai, Gumtapuram and Bainapuram villages are located in Talavadi bordering Karnataka. The jurisdiction of Chamarajanagar starts two km away from the villages and people of both the States frequently cross the border for work. People of Talavadi visit the hospitals at Chamarajanagar for medical emergencies, while vegetables from there are transported to Talavadi mandis from where it is taken to markets in Erode and Coimbatore.
Due to total lockdown in Karnataka from April 27, inter-State borders at Ramapuram, Arulvadi and Bisalvadi were closed and barricaded thus preventing the movement of vehicles. Also, the roads at these places have been dug up to prevent people from crossing on foot. Since ambulances and vegetable-laden vehicles ply between the States, check posts were installed on the roads that lead to Karnataka at Ellakattai, Gumtapuram and Bainapuram and monitored by the police personnel round the clock.
A senior police officer said that only ambulances and vegetable-laden vehicles were allowed to pass through checkposts while the public were denied entry.
