Srinagar: The emergence of a Covid-19 testing centre on the national highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar has become the subject of controversy following complaints from commuters about being forced to halt their journeys to take tests.
The authorities have, however, defended the decision to set up the centre in Udhampur’s Chenani area, saying it is a bid to check the spread of Covid-19. They have also said the centre is just a new premises for two Covid-19 testing centres that existed at Ramban, a “red zone” located 40 km away, and Jawahar Tunnel, about 100 km away, along the highway.
The centre at Chenani offers free rapid antigen testing, with the union territory administration paying for the tests.
In an order issued on 10 November, the Udhampur district administration directed all passengers travelling between Srinagar and Jammu, through private or passenger vehicles, to get tested for Covid-19 at the centre. Those who have the results of a recently-conducted Covid test are exempt.
According to traffic police estimates, over 1,000 light motor vehicles travel between Jammu and Srinagar on any given day. On the first day of the centre, it managed to conduct 125 tests, all of which yielded a negative result, sources in the J&K administration said.
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‘Centre already existed on highway’
Among other things, commuters who frequent the highway told ThePrint that there was no compulsion to take tests when the centres were at their earlier locations — a claim denied by the authorities.
Yawar Ahmed, a student from Kashmir’s Bandipora area, said his journey was delayed by several hours because of being stopped at the centre. “I had to pick up a car from Jammu and bring it back home. It was supposed to be a day’s job, now I have been waiting for my turn to get tested for hours.”
Habib, a Kargil resident, added, “The administration is saying they won’t allow anyone to move towards Jammu without getting tested. They told us to turn back.” Another traveller said the “forceful testing is completely arbitrary and discriminatory”.
Asked about the decision to open the centre at Chenani, Udhampur District Magistrate Dr Piyush Singla denied there was anything amiss. There was a centre at Jawahar Tunnel and one at Ramban that have “now been moved to Udhampur”, he said.
Singla did not offer any reason for the shift. However, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma said, “Ramban is a red zone. To cross that, you need sampling. It is for health reasons only and nothing else.”
Verma also said the centres at Jawahar Tunnel and Ramban were shifted because of the cold temperatures.
However, a senior government official, speaking to ThePrint on the condition of anonymity, said there was no spurt in the number of Covid-19 cases in Udhampur or Jammu to warrant mandatory testing at the centre.
According to government figures, J&K has reported over 1 lakh coronavirus cases so far, of which 5,578 were active as of Thursday. Jammu has 1,588 active cases and Kashmir, 3,990. There have been 527 Covid deaths in Jammu so far, and 1,039 in Kashmir.
Among the 20 districts in J&K, Udhampur has the seventh highest number of cases, 223. The highest number of active cases are currently in Srinagar (1,499), Baramulla (700) and Jammu (614).
“Sampling centres were established along the national highways earlier this year when strict (Covid) restrictions were enforced. Later, after the restrictions were lifted, the passengers simply had to carry a certificate that they get after testing negative in Covid tests,” said a senior government official in Jammu.
“Subsequently, all restrictions were lifted. I am not sure what is the reason behind establishing a lone sampling centre along the highway. If at all the tests need to be done, they should be carried out at the destinations, not along the route,” the official added.
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