RAIPUR: While Chhattisgarh is reeling under Covid-19, there are ten villages in the Kota development block of Bilaspur, about 130 km east of Raipur, where no patient has reported coronavirus infection during the second wave of the pandemic crisis.
One could equally gauge the awareness and efforts executed towards the prevention of Covid infection among the rural population when every individual over 45 years has been inoculated.
Officials believed that besides the villagers' perception about the current outbreak, the other determinants like vaccination drive, use of mask, and physical distance yielded invincible safeguards.
The villages free from Coronavirus infection included Jogipur, Kurdoor, Lamkena, Majgawan, Manpahri, Tatidhar, Ramdai, Mohali, Tetri, and Ringwar.
The roles and responsibilities in these villages were allocated to each gram panchayat representative—sarpanch, deputy sarpanch, and panch. They have also placed a monitoring mechanism. The people displayed a better understanding, as was evident in the result.
“Ten villages of the Kota janpad panchayat are found to be absolutely free from the coronavirus infection. The inhabitants of these rural areas were self-motivated to impose the prescribed protocol and strictly complied with all Covid-19 appropriate behaviors. All above the 45 years have received the Covid vaccine”, said T R Bharadwaj, sub-divisional magistrate, Kota division.
“Ahead of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, we realized the imminent threat. We raised awareness on preventive measures and mode of transmission of the deadly virus”, said Ganpat Ram, a panch of Manpahri panchayat, one of the ten villages.
The villagers devotedly pursued every possible action to eliminate the chances of getting infected or letting the Coronavirus infection enter their hamlets.
“We took pledge that those above 45 should proactively get vaccinated. Outsiders were not needlessly given entry during our imposed restrictions. No social or religious program was allowed and no one violated the prescribed guidelines on preventing the infection”, said Damrudhar Bagh, a resident of Majgawan village.
Impressed with the responsibility accomplished by the 10 villages, the administration took decision to extend full cooperation to them for the 18-44 age group vaccination drive.