International passengers who arrived at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) and were shifted to a Telangana government-run quarantine centre at the outskirts of the city, complain that there is a lack of information on the process being followed by the state.
A group of people, who are presently quarantined at the Telangana State Institute of Rural Development (TSIRD), allege that the washrooms are unhygienic and that two to three passengers are being made to share a single room.
Speaking to TNM, Rahul*, who landed in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening from London after a layover in Dubai, said, "They got us off the flight and took our passports, giving us the impression that they'll return it soon. We were made to sign paperwork that was vague, and suggested that we were happy to be quarantined. Many of us, and that includes me, have medical conditions. I have travelled to India for a surgery. They did not take any details of that, and instead packed us all into a bus and brought us here," he claims.
Many were irked since they had followed the guidelines of the Indian government, which banned flying in from the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom from March 18 to March 31. They say that they were not expecting to be quarantined by the state.
"We took off from our initial port of departure (London) before 12pm GMT and met the conditions laid down by the Centre, but the Telangana government has decided to quarantine all passengers. They did not even offer proper clarity on this while bringing us to the quarantine centre," Rahul alleges.
"Many of us have been asked to share a room with one or two more people. This defeats the point of isolation and quarantine as people who were not affected earlier may get the virus now," he adds.
Pictures shared with TNM also show three beds attached together in a single room.
"The bathrooms are not very clean and only Indian-style commodes are available. People from different countries like Germany and America have been lodged together. This may make things worse," he says.
Rajesh*, another passenger from London who is lodged at the quarantine facility, says, "The biggest problem is a lack of information. There are no doctors here and it has been over 12 hours since we were brought here. There are children as well as aged people with health conditions who are not being given adequate care,"
"Mosquitoes and bedbugs are also a problem. Each room was given one bar of soap. I had to break the soap in two and share it with my roommate. We were forced to even stage a small protest at the gate, which defeats the point of social distancing that is being advised," he adds.
Despite several attempts, TNM could not get a response from the officials of the state government.
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*Names changed