Armed with Stick, Telangana Sarpanch Takes it Upon Herself to Ensure Villagers Follow Virus Lockdown

Hyderabad: A 23-year-old woman in Telangana has taken it upon herself to protect her village from the coronavirus.

Akhila, the young sarpanch of Madanapuram village at Chintapally Mandal in Nalgonda district, is ensuring that not a single villager comes out of their homes during the lockdown that has been imposed across the country to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Akhila, who is also completing her B.Tech, is usually seen standing at the main entrance of her village to make sure that no outsider is allowed in or no one is able to leave the village.

“There is a nationwide curfew. This is the time for everyone to save their families and our country from the pandemic. I may not be to control everyone, but I can try to make my fellow villagers follow the restrictions as part of the lockdown," Akhila told News18.

Giri, a local, said villagers were very supportive towards Akhila and following the lockdown strictly.

Telangana has, so far, reported 39 positive cases and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has issued a stern warning to people against violating lockdown rules.