Kolkata, April 2: A man in his 60s has quarantined himself in a boat in West Bengal's Malda district after he was advised isolation by health workers for having come to the area from another district in view of the Covid-19 outbreak. Niranjan Haldar, who earns his living singing 'kirtans', had come to visit his niece at Dubapara village under Habibpur block five days back.

A resident of Nadia district, Haldar had faced hostile villagers at Dubapara, who demanded he get himself tested for the coronavirus infection. "They told me to undergo a health check-up as I had come from another place. I underwent a check-up, though I did not have any symptoms like cough or fever," said Haldar. Toilet Paper Crisis! Truck Carrying Toilet Paper Rolls Crashes and Catches Fire on Texas Highway, Netizens Are Upset With The Damage.

Nevertheless, the health workers advised him to remain in home quarantine for 14 days. This created a problem for Haldar. There were only two rooms in his niece's decrepit tin house, where isolation was not possible. Thereafter, some villagers suggested he could stay in a boat on the bank of river Tangon which flows past the village crematorium.

"Had I gone on quarantine in my niece's house, they would have had to stay under the open sky for their safety. So, I am staying in the boat. I am cooking my food also," he said. However, some locals brought the matter to the notice of the block administration, which is now considering shifting Haldar to a quarantine centre.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2020 07:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).