Odisha govt requests railways to withdraw train stoppages in Ganjam district

With Ganjam reporting a surge in coronavirus cases, the Odisha government on Wednesday sealed the borders of the district and requested the railways to withdraw all train stoppages in the district, to check COVID-19 cases.

The roads leading to Ganjam district through Khurda and Nayagarh districts have been already sealed, an official said. As per the request made by the state government, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has cancelled one pair of train and withdrawn the stoppages of the trains in Ganjam district, a railway official said.

Bhubaneswar-Brahmapur-Bhubaneswar Tri-weekly Special from Bhubaneswar on July 8 and from Brahmapur will remain cancelled, the official said.

This apart, the ECoR has also withdrawn stoppage of Bhubaneswar-Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai- Bhubaneswar Special train at Balugaon, Chhatrapur and Brahmapur from both the directions till further advice, ECoR said.

Similarly, stoppage of Howrah-Secunderabad-Howrah Special Express at Balugaon and Brahmapur has also been withdrawn with effect from July 9 from both the directions, it said.

"Ganjam-Khurda border is sealed. No person will be allowed to go Bhubaneswar. Kindly cooperate, Ganjam district magistrate-cum collector V A Kulange said, adding that Odagaon, Rohibanka and Bhanjanagar crossing chhak road have also been sealed.

Ganjam SP Brijesh Rai said the people will be allowed to enter and leave Ganjam district only in case of emergency. Those travelling with genuine reasons, mostly on health ground, are being allowed, others are being requested to go back, the SP said.

Khurda district administration has also tightened security and did not allow any vehicle to move towards Ganjam. In view of the rise in the COVID-19 cases in Ganjam, we ensure that nobody from Ganjam enter Khurda or Bhubaneswar, said Khurda SP Ajay Pratap Swain.

Ganjam district tops the list of COVID cases in the state with 2,836 cases including 215 fresh cases on Wednesday. The district also accounts 27 COVID deaths so far of the states 48 fatalities in the disease. Of the six COVID deaths reported on Wednesday, three were from Ganjam district.

Meanwhile, the state government has also closed the OPD of the southern Odishas premier medical facility the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Berhampur. All the entrances to the Hospital campus except the main entrance gate are closed.

"Only referral and emergency cases are to be admitted in the hospital," said Kulange. He said only emergency patients and staff are to be allowed to enter into the campus of the medical college.

(Photo credit: PTI)