New Delhi: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said that due to the strong Covid19 response efforts initiated by the government along with other partner organisations, India has witnessed significant growth in handwashing access and practice. According to the joint monitoring programme 2020 supported by UNICEF and WHO, over 30 percent of Indians do not have access to handwashing facilities with water and soap at home, and almost half of schools also experience the same deprivation.
"Significant gains in promoting handwashing access and practice have been made especially in the past two years, mainly due to strong Covid19 response efforts led by the government and supported by partners. However, this needs sustained effort, given the large population, diversity of the country, the large investment needed and the possibility of waning interest as the severity of the pandemic waves recede," the UNICEF has said.
Talking to ETV Bharat, additional secretary and mission director of national water mission, G Ashok Kumar echoed the same and said that India has really achieved tremendous success in hand hygiene and hand wash access. "This is a fact that people's awareness regarding hand washing access and practice have increased tremendously due to the Covid19 pandemic," Kumar said.
Kumar said that the government has also adopted lots of awareness initiatives ever since the pandemic began in the country. He further said that the central government has initiated steps to make water available in every household.
Since August 2019, the government of India in partnerships with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)-Har Ghar Jal to make provision of tape water supply to every rural household in the country by 2024. The estimated outlay of the mission is Rs 3.60 lakh crore, out of which the central share is Rs 2.08 lakh core.
The Central government has invested heavily in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector under the mandates of two national flagship programmes, the Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission.
The UNICEF said that as a technical expert, it has been working with the central and state government to raise awareness on and generate demand for hand hygiene, to install accessible Covid19 sensitive handwashing stations (touch-free), in the institutions and public places along with promoting Covid appropriate behaviour, especially handwashing with soaps.
The UNICEF said that although handwashing with soap is critical in the right against infectious disease, including Covid19, globally, around 3 in 10 people or 2.3 billion people do not have handwashing facilities with water and soap available at home. "The situation is worst in the least developed countries, with over 6 in 10 people without access to basic hand hygiene," it said.
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