panaji we laud them as covid warriors but give them no weapons to defend themselves with frontline workers manning the patradevi checkpost lack basic facilities and are exhausted and overworked as the busy checkpost is shortstaffed the checkpost witnesses a continuous stream of goods vehicles and people entering the statea visit to the checkpost revealed that the staff are not even supplied with adequate drinking water or sanitisers to disinfect their handsa policeman at the post said the provision for drinking water and other safety precautions were only adequate for the first four days after his duty begani have not had water to drink since i began my shift in the morning sometimes the mamlatdar on duty provides the drinking water at other times social workers step in on some days we get forgotten even as the number of vehicles entering through this checkpost bordering maharashtra have increased staff numbers have not besides around 300 goods vehicles over 200 fourwheelers ferry stranded people across the border each day another official at the checkpost said they could not work expeditiously as they need more personnel a home guard entrusted to note the names of migrant labourers remains surrounded by a crowd of workers all day his only defence against the virus a cloth mask does not cover his nose as he needs to keep pulling it down for a breath of fresh air as he continues to work in the heatthe staff also deals with migrant labourers trying to cross the border illegally and struggle to enforce social distancing between them