After Maoists undertook two daring acts by hijacking two motorboats laden with provisions for BSF personnel and gunned down the driver of a motor launch Sama Pangi on October 22 at the Chitrakonda reservoir, locals and boat operators are in a state of panic and communications have come to a virtual standstill to the Chitrakonda cutoff region in the district.
Sources said that out of fear, the boat operators have stopped plying their vessels and presently only one motor launch is in operation and plies only once in a day to the cutoff region.
This has brought immense hardships for the local residents as they are dependent on the boats for their day today activities. This has put a challenge to the police and security forces as in the aforesaid incidents the Maoists have proved their might in the waterways.
However, Malkangiri district Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Mina said the police would intensify operations and conduct patrolling near the ghats and the waterways so that they are safe and made incident-free.
Notably, DGP RP Sharma during his recent visit to the district had taken stock of the situation and even reviewed construction of the Gurupriya bridge. Sharma said ultras from Andhra Pradesh are infiltrating the region for which more camps would be set up and more security forces would be deployed.