Often, the initiatives taken in bigger urban centres are in limelight, but the response of the villages to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic remains neglected. Against this backdrop, here is a good news from the rural landscape -- Khursapar Gram Panchayat (GP) in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district, has won appreciation from the Central Government for best practices. With various these initiatives, it has achieved ‘zero active patient’ status.

 

Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj Central Government has acknowledged the best practices of Panchayati Raj institutions in fight against COVID-19. Among 29 GPs, six blocks and one village in Nagaland, and one Zilla Parishad, total six GPs from Maharashtra figure in the list. These include Khursapar in Nagpur district, Chandankheda in Chandrapur district, Umbarpada Saphale in Palghar district, Bhoyare Khurd and Hiware Bazar in Ahmednagar district, and Bhosi in Nanded district. Thus, the list has only two GPs from Vidarbha region namely Khursapar and Chandankheda. Khursapar village has total population of 1,487 as per Census-2011. There are 324 families. The most important initiative of Khursapar GP was appointment of ‘COVID Yoddhas’ (volunteers) including young boys and girls in all the wards. It has won appreciation from the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

 

 

 

Further, Khursapar GP conducted vaccination and awareness drives. Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed in all the main streets and junctions. The GP restricted all gatherings like wedding and engagement rituals, and allowed only limited people to attend such programmes. It installed loudspeaker through which Government clips aimed at COVID-19 awareness were played at 7 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm daily. Awareness programmes including street-plays were held twice a week on main street. Khursapar GP took several other initiatives including Nakabandi at entry point, deployment of Home Guard at the entrance to the village, converting Zilla Parishad Upper Primary School into COVID Isolation Centre, spraying of disinfectant on regular basis throughout the village, distribution of sanitisers to each household, installing sanitisation machine at public places from own funds and contribution, making people aware about COVID-19 through posters etc.

 

Information on social distancing was given to all shops, ration shops, and in markets and other public places. The GP also helped poor and needy villagers by way of providing to them food kits. Hand-wash and soap were distributed to families below poverty line. Cleanliness drive, family survey, fogging etc were other measures. With all these initiatives in implementation since March 20, 2020, Khursapar GP has achieved ‘zero active patient’ status till date, which is quite an achievement considering the spread of COVID-19 over the last year.

 

People’s co-operation works wonders: Kumbhejkar Yogesh Kumbhejkar, Chief Executive of Nagpur Zilla Parishad, was quite enthusiastic about the appreciation of Khursapar Gram Panchayat. “There are many more Gram Panchayats in Nagpur district that have presented examples in tiding over the crisis and showing path to others. What these GPs have done is the crux of local self-governance principles,” he said. He attributed the credit of Khursapar’s achievement to people’s participation and hard work of the Government employees. He said, “To achieve anything, people’s participation is a must. People of Khursapar and other GPs in Nagpur district have extended co-operation to the administration in curbing the spread of COVID-19.” 

 

Chandankheda sets up quarantine centre in village Chandankheda Gram Panchayat in Chandrapur district is another GP from Vidarbha region to have figured among six such bodies in Maharashtra that have won praise from the Central Government. Chandankheda set up institutional quarantine facility in the village. It formed teams to isolate people having flu-like symptoms and conduct Rapid Antigen Test/RTPCR Test. It made wearing of face-mask mandatory, and banned social gatherings. To ensure that everyone followed the norms, strict actions were taken against violators.