PUNE: Lending a helping hand to Kolhapur district collector office the Kolhapur Ham Radio Club is providing a wireless support system to the government.

Ham operator Nitin Ainapure, who had also helped the government and police authorities in the district during disasters like last year’s floods, has set up a wireless operative system at the district collector office to aid during the coronavirus lockdown.

“We have around 30 volunteers, working across the city day and night. We have around 10-12 walkie-talkies, and volunteers are stationed mostly in the areas where people have been in home-quarantine,” Ainapure said.

The volunteers are stationed in all the wards of Kolhapur, and keep a watch whether people leave their houses or not.

“Our volunteers have also been checking on the migrant workers. We have stopped migrant workers who were trying to leave so that the district collectorate could provide them with food and shelter. We are also trying to keep track of the small lanes and roads that go through people’s farmlands, so as to stop people trying to escape in their vehicles via these lanes,” Ainapure added.

Kolhapur District Collector Daulat Desai said that the Ham Radio Operators are helping to find the stranded people in some areas.

“Right now, among the other modes of communication like cellphones are functional. The Ham Radio setup is an additional support system for us,” Desai added.