KOLAR: With the threat of Covid-19 spreading to rural pockets running high, 800 residents of a village on the Karnataka-Andhra border have initiated extreme measures: Cutting contact with the outside world for two months by sealing all roads leading to the village.

M Golahalli, 110km from Bengaluru and in Kolar district, took this decision as residents don’t want any of them to get infected and spread it to others. The village has mainly agricultural workers who depend on farms for their livelihood.

According to M Gopal, a progressive farmer and national secretary of All India Kissan Manch in the village, the villagers are unanimous in their decision and 100 volunteers will oversee the arrangements. There are four committees on health, sanitation, security and communication. Checkposts have been set up to prevent entry or exit of any person.

KV Jagganath, president, district Primary School Teachers Association, said villagers will keep vigil at these checkposts. He said over 700 litres of milk is being produced in the village every day and this will be filled in cans and be placed outside the border and vans that collects milk should lift the cans from the border itself. The excess vegetables would be placed in boxes after subjecting them to sanitisation and would be placed outside the border.

N Rajgopal, former ZP member said: “In a bid to prevent shortage of groceries and other food stuff, villagers were asked to get required groceries and other items which can last long for two months, including medicine. All those who have gone out of the village have been asked to come back. There are four temples in the village and rituals are being allowed. This morning, villagers swept the village and sanitised the roads using cow dung and cow urine. The villagers decided to clean their village regularly. This self-isolation will be in place for two months.”

In case the situation eases, farmers will rethink the period of isolation. Interestingly, a young man from the village who lives in London as been asked by villagers not to return till this crisis is over.