ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus caught everyone off guard. No amount of preparation could be the best preparation. The common man, the frontline workers, the planners, the health care facilitators, everyone was put to test. In the state of Assam, multiple efforts were made to ensure the safety of the people returning to their homeland as well as to safeguard its residents from the virus. The efforts made and implemented through the frontline workers were phenomenal. Civil servants were tasked with resolving multiple crises on a daily basis. When the nation was gripped by the pandemic, the situation vexed even the most seasoned and experienced officers across the spectrum of civil administration. Unlike the medical professionals, who knew exactly what was expected out of them, administrative officers were not sure what their line of duty would be. Civil servants were found at the front line of a war zone where multiple battles were being fought against COVID-19. This chapter recounts the first-hand experiences of an administrator during the lockdown in the city of Guwahati.
