In response to a news item published in Northeast Now on March 25, 2020, the district administration of West Garo Hills in Meghalaya has issued a clarification through its facebook page.
The news item was regarding repair of a retaining wall.
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The post clarified that the permission to work on the retaining wall for the collapsing road was an emergency for which necessary permission was given one day before the lockdown.
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The district administration of West Garo Hills maintained that the work continued as ‘it was an urgent disaster management work exempted from curfew to be completed before the rains’.
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It further stated that the retaining wall was posing a threat to the health workers, police and other emergency services.
The wall was facing a threat of collapsing in case of rain, it stated.
The post further stated that ‘as the labourers are now frightened by someone from working we (district administration, West Garo Hills) request concerned people to volunteer for work provided social distance is maintained in this crisis’.
The work has been necessitated to avert ‘another disaster on this road and adjoining houses’.
The post, however, thanked Northeast Now in particular and the entire media in general for ‘encouraging ‘during these trying times.