ZERO COVID cases in 18 months - These three villages of Udaipur have set an example of responsibility and awareness

Udaipur has witnessed a devastating last few weeks with the second wave taking its toll on this district of southern Rajasthan. However, these three villages under Bhinder's Nagliya Gram Panchayat has ensured high level of integrity and discipline in sustaining their NON - COVID zone status since the advent of the pandemic. Not a single COVID case has been recorded in these three villages of Nagliya Gram Panchayat, which falls under Bhinder Panchayat Samiti. These villages are Kheda Fala, Nagliya and Rani Dugla and account for a population of approximately 2,800 people. Farming and labour are the two main sources of income of these three villages.

The credit for this goes to the people of the village, who have followed the directions and instructions of their Sarpanch (Panchayat Head), Manmohan Meena, who is a MA (Political Science) by qualification.

While no part of rural or urban Udaipur have been spared the COVID hit, Manmohan's efforts in educating his constituents and the willingness and maturity of the people have ensured that this gram panchayat stays safe from COVID. A significant part of his efforts has been to educate the village folk on the benefits of vaccination, especially after the negative news on vaccination hit social media and people were apprehensive of going in for vaccination.

Accompanied with the elderly folk of the villages, Meena spread awareness by visiting each home in his responsibility zone. Spreading awareness on safety, distributing masks home to home, educating on vaccination, medical consultation and quick treatment of symptoms, viz. fever, cold and cough has ensured that his villages stay safe from the pandemic. Meena said that he will continue to ensure that the instructions on COVID safety guidelines and awareness drive of the government and administration are disseminated across each home in the villages. Medicines for ILE symptoms - fever, cough and cold are also being given door to door.

Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) Shravan Singh Rathod of Vallabhnagar, the tehsil under which Bhinder falls, explained that as per the instructions of the District Collector Chetan Deora, the message of awareness and social distancing has been spread by forming Core Gram Panchayat groups, spreading information through social media - forming WhatsApp groups, promoting usage of face mask dilligently, facilitating social distancing and avoiding large group events in the village.

The fear of vaccination has disappeared from these villages. BDO Dr Vijendra Sharma explained that initially there was a lot of apprehension related to vaccination among villagers. However, through awareness exercises and one to one counselling, this fear is no longer there, and the people are willingly coming forward for vaccination.