Goods lorries being sanitised at Talapady border

With the surge in Covid-19 cases in Dakshina Kannada, the Kasargod district administration has begun sanitising all the goods vehicles that enter Kerala via Talapady border.

Kasargod District Collector D Sajith Babu had even gone to the extent of ordering trucks plying from Karnataka to hand over their goods including vegetables, fruits and fish to the vehicles from Kerala at the border.

"The goods should be handed over to vehicles from Kerala only after sanitising the vehicles," he had ordered.

Further, he had said that no one from Karnataka should enter Kerala in goods vehicles. The goods lorry drivers and staff from Kasargod should check for Covid-19 every week at the nearest PHCs.

Bus owners operating buses from Talapady, on Kerala border, to Mangaluru were badly hit by the Covid 19 crisis.

"Earlier, we were earning Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per day. Now, with the Covid-19 scare and decline in passengers, the total earnings have dipped to Rs 4,000 per month. We are operating the buses amid loss," said a private bus driver.

The toll collection too was reduced by 75% at Talapady toll plaza, a staff person at the toll plaza told DH.