The man took shelter in the boat following the advice of doctors for a quarantine.

A 60-year-old man has been living in a boat for the past four days after villagers allegedly forced him to do so following doctors advising him to go for 14 days quarantine.

Niranjan Halder, a resident of Nabadwip of Nadia district has been staying on a boat at the Dobapara area under Habibpur block in the Malda district.

Mr Halder said, "I was suffering from fever after the outbreak of COVID-19. The villagers did not allow me to enter their village and then I took shelter in the boat following the advice of local doctors for a 14 days quarantine."

Mr Halder recently visited his relative's home at Habibpur. Later he felt some physical problems and local doctors advised him for a 14 days quarantine. At that time local villagers allegedly did not allow him entry into the village and he was forced to take shelter on the boat.

Following the incident, officials from the local administration said that they are taking adequate measures.

Meanwhile, Tapan Biswas, a local resident said, "After the outbreak of COVID-19, we made a separate shelter for him. We are providing food and other things to him."