Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on February 23 cautioned the people not to lower their guard and continue with the practice of washing hands frequently amid the flattening of the COVID-19 pandemic curve.
While addressing the National WASH Conclave-2022, the Vice President said, "children should grow up in an environment that is healthy – physically and emotionally." He stressed preventive healthcare measures such as safe water, sanitation, and hygienic practices to begin from anganwadis and primary schools.
M Venkaiah Naidu also underlined the importance of basic amenities like safe drinking water and sanitation in preventing diseases and contributing towards the overall well-being of people. "We often say ‘Jal hi Jeevan hai’… ‘Water is Life’. "Our forefathers saw the underlying truth behind this statement centuries ago—we have, therefore, for millennia, worshipped life-giving rivers across the length and breadth of this vast country," he said.
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Among other things, the Vice President stressed the need to ensure institutional strengthening of the Panchayats for effective service delivery to the last mile. “This is a key aspect of governance which I always emphasize—efficient last-mile delivery of services in every field— holds the key to fast-tracking all-around development,” he added.
The three-day virtual Conclave on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is being organised by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), Hyderabad in association with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, UNICEF and other development partners. The Conclave is focusing on ‘advancing water, sanitation and hygiene at Panchayats’.
Meanwhile, India reported 15,102 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours in past 24 hours. A total of 278 COVID-19 deaths were also logged, taking the official toll of fatalities due to the infectious disease to 5,12,622.
