INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur has said 'yagya' is an ancient method of purifying the environment and claimed such a practice is being followed since ages to get rid of pandemics.
Amid the ongoing second wave of COVID-19, Thakur on Tuesday appealed to people to perform "havan" (a fire ritual) at one time.
"We appeal to all to perform yagya and offer aahuti (oblation) and purify the environment because performing this sacred ritual to eliminate pandemics has been a tradition since ages," she told reporters.
She claimed 'yagya' is a practice to purify the environment and it is "not bigotry or ritualism".
"So, let us all offer two aahutis each and purify the environment. The third wave of COVID-19 will not be able to touch our country," she said.
Thakur also said the state government was aware of the threat of a third wave of the viral infection.
It is being said that this wave will affect children.
The state is making full preparations to curb it, she added.
"I am confident that we will be able to handle third wave of the pandemic properly because no problem can stay if we make joint efforts with good intentions. We pray to God that this wave may not cause hardships to people," she said.
Earlier, on March 7, Thakur had stressed on the need for adopting a Vedic lifestyle for protection against coronavirus, and claimed that "havan" of a cow dung cake can keep a house sanitised for 12 hours.
Claiming that the second wave of COVID-19 has slowed down in Madhya Pradesh, state minister Dr Prabhu Ram Choudhary on Wednesday said that in view of the threat of the third wave, the government has started enhancing its basic infrastructure in the medical field.
The health and family welfare minister was speaking to reporters after reviewing the coronavirus situation in Indore district.
"In the last few days, the second wave of COVID-19 has slowed down in the state. The infection rate, which had climbed to 25 per cent in April, has now gone down to 13.87 per cent," he said.
"In order to deal with the threat of the third wave of the pandemic, the government is fully alert. We are trying to enhance the availability of medical oxygen, Remdesivir injections and other necessary material for the purpose," the minister said.
More than 100 oxygen plants have been sanctioned in the state and some of these units have even started functioning in eight districts, he added.
On the slow pace of vaccination especially for the age group of 18-44, Choudhary said, "About 3.5 crore people fall under this category. We are ensuring availability of vaccines with the help of manufacturers and the central government to speed up the inoculation of this age group."
The minister said that around May 20, the state is likely to get a fresh stock of vaccines.
However, despite repeated queries about how many variants of the virus were active in the state, he was unable to reply.
"There is no laboratory available in Madhya Pradesh for the examination of the types of coronavirus. We have sent the samples to the labs outside the state for knowing about the virus variants," he added.