Villages adjoining Daman stranded due to lockdown

Surat: Over 30,000 migrant workers of Lavachha and Kunta villages in Valsad district are facing a strange situation. People from these villages are unable to go to their companies that have resumed operations. This is because the industrial units where they work fall under the Union Territory Daman-Diu and Dadra-Nagar Haveli (DNH), which has sealed its borders with Gujarat.
Kunta is surrounded by Daman and there is only one road that connects the village to Gujarat.Over 15,000 residents of Kunta are employed in various units in Daman. But they are not permitted to enter by the UT authorities.
“Not only our offices, but our bank accounts are in Daman. Also, our family doctors are based in the UT. But due to lockdown we cannot go there despite it being at a walking distance,” said Ketan Patel, a resident of Kunta who is employed in Daman.
“The nearest town Vapi is just six kilometre if we go through Daman. But with borders closed, one has to travel over 20km to reach Vapi,” Patel added.
Deputy Sarpanch of Kunta Harji Tandel said, “We have made representations at various levels in both Gujarat and Daman but no has acted.”
Similarly, Lavachha is surrounded by Dadra on one side and Nagar Haveli on another. On the third side the village has Daman Ganga river. It has one side open to reach Vapi, and that too through internal narrow roads.
“Over 15,000 workers living in Lavachha are employed in DNH. But due to lockdown they are unable to go to work as the borders are sealed,” said Rajesh Patel, sarpanch of Lavachha.
“This must be first time in history that such situation has been created. At many places people are facing similar problems. Villages should cooperate with administration for few days. These restrictions are not permanent,” said Praful Patel, administrator of Daman, Diu and DNH.