Handwashing, A Vital Defense Against COVID-19, But Billions Don't Have Water To Wash Hands
According to the World Health Organization, frequent and thorough handwashing is among the most effective measures in restricting the spread of the coronavirus because the primary routes of transmission are droplets and direct contact. Therefore, experts recommend authorities to facilitate the provision of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene among communities in order to prevent the transmission and contain the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a large number of people across the globe are facing acute shortage of water. Because of this, for many, living in water-stressed countries, handwashing is a luxury.
The United Nations group called UN-Water says that over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress. It also said that at about 4 billion people across the globe suffer from severe water scarcity for at least one month a year and almost 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
According to Composite Water Management Index-2019 Report of NITI Aayog, around 800 million people in the country face high to extreme water stress and as much as 70 per cent of the surface water resources are contaminated. Another study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in May, revealed that nearly 500 million people in India do not have access to effective handwashing because of lack of adequate water, putting them at a greater risk of acquiring and transmitting the novel coronavirus.
In 2019, almost half of the nation including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Haryana faced a drought. Chennai faced one of the worst water stress situations with the city running dry in early 2019; Bangalore and Delhi are also severely water stressed and have large crowded urban centres with rising cases of virus infections.
This lack of water creates a barrier against the implementation of WHO's recommendation that says that washing hands thoroughly with soap for about 20-30 seconds before eating or making food, after defecation, before and after visiting a hospital, doctor's clinic or any other high-risk public place, can help in containing the COVID-19 pandemic and many other diseases immensely.
So how to avoid water woes in the time of a pandemic like the ongoing one? Promoting Sensor taps can be one of the solutions for reducing wastage of water while washing hands, said Vikas Bagaria, Founder, Pee Safe, a private company that promotes personal hygiene. He added that because of frequent handwashing with soap, the Earth will be overburdened with waste water which may further contaminate the groundwater. Also, the cities are sanitised using water sprays which consume a large volume of freshwater, adding to the current water crisis. Thus, the governments and policymakers around the globe must take a note of this as a future environmental concern, said Mr. Bagaria.
Nearly 20 lakh children live on the streets of India, without an identity, a name to call their own, a place to call home, sleeping on empty stomachs for days and nights. These twenty lakh are children, who have dreams, who have rights, who are our tomorrow. They are living in the shadows today.
During these unprecedented times, not everyone can afford the privilege of social distancing. And not everybody can stay home during the lockdown, simply because they don’t have a home. Those living in poverty are extremely vulnerable, struck with a sudden lack of funds, food, mobility and a struggle for survival. And, as with all humanitarian crises, it is the children who have been affected the most.
It is always the children on the street who are subjected to some of the harshest realities of life. Today they are battling a catastrophic crisis, and it’s time we step in to protect them.
As a part of our COVID-19 response, Save the Children is working across various regions and has already directly reached over 18,000 children and adults to cover their basic needs. The organisation is ensuring their daily needs and their dignity and hygiene are also being cared for. Save the Children has identified 2.5 lakh children in cohorts, across 10 cities in India. Reaching out to these children with emergency relief is a top priority. But this cannot be done alone.
Save the Children and NDTV join hands to bring focus to the lives of children living in street situations. As India fights the Coronavirus, we must not forget one of the most marginalised and excluded groups whose lives have been long ignored – street-connected children. The 21-day campaign will generate public interest and raise funds to ensure these 20 Lakh+ children who live, earn, sleep and eat on our streets are cared for and protected. Amidst the crisis the world is facing, they are most vulnerable, exposed to infection and disease.