Public awareness for Hygiene & Sanitation

Hygiene is a practice of keeping yourself and your surroundings clean, this done in order to prevent illness or spread of diseases. In India hygiene and sanitation is far lacking as compared to the developed countries. This is one of the major concerns for visitors who want to visit India. Population of India is over 120 cores and is ever increasing. This is creating a significant rise in the waste management issue. The amount of garbage produced in the cities is alarming. There is a lot of trash lying around certain corners and which does not make for a good viewing to the eye. The problem that the people are facing is the disposal of the garbage. The are no proper timings for the garbage trucks this adds to the problem. The garbage provides a breeding place for flies which are carriers of disease causing pathogens. There is an adverse effect in the air quality which causes adverse respiratory problems. The direct disposal of waste into the water bodies cause water borne diseases and make water unfit for consumption. Thus the water has to be treated and this makes the water filled with chemicals which are harmful for health. Maximum health concerns are caused due to contamination of food.  Harmful bacteria’s and virus’s enter the body through unhygienic food. Cleanliness and proper rinsing of food items is necessary to avoid such occurrences. Basic rule would be to check out the hygiene and ambiance before choosing any restaurant. Another place where infections are caused is public places like Railway stations, Bus stops, cyber cafes, offices, schools, colleges, malls, public gatherings etc. Personal hygiene like washing of hands with soap or using a hand sanitizer will help reduce the spread infections. Public littering, spitting and pooping in the open should be avoided. The government should take harsh measures like fining those found guilty. People should make use of the garbage cans installed by the government to dispose the garbage. The wet waste and dry waste should be segregated at individual level. Also the garbage collecting vehicles need to be provided across cities on a frequent basis. The Dry waste can be recycled, whereas the wet waste can be used to make compost. The government should also install more number of Public toilets and urinals, especially near slums. People need to be made aware of personal hygiene and its benefits.We should follow the western concept of “Recycle-Reuse-Reduce” and make the world a better place to live in.