Countries need to re-energize their covid campaigns launched in March: Javadekar

The total tally of covid-19 cases in India has already crossed 7 million, and pandemic has claimed more than 100,000 lives in the country. The average number of cases in the country has been falling in the past few weeks, however, the upcoming festivals and winter season may again bring a peak in covid-19 cases, public health experts warn.

Prakash Javadekar, the minister of environment, forest and climate change, minister of information and broadcasting and minister of heavy industries and public enterprises spoke with Mint about the covid-19 situation in India, the government’s role in creating awareness to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 through recently launched campaigns, upcoming festival season, winters and environmental impact on the pandemic. Edited excerpts from an interview:

The government has launched a nation-wide awareness campaign for covid-19. Why was this campaign planned after nine months of the pandemic? Do you think India lacks covid-19 appropriate behaviour? Please give us some details on the campaign, such as funds and manpower required for its implementation. How much money has the government spent so far on advertising and spreading the information regarding covid-19?

In a pandemic such as covid-19, which essentially is a new phenomenon, every country needs to re-energize its campaign launched in March. In the first phase of the pandemic, people were afraid, unaware and also cared to adhere to what was prescribed. The lockdown was successful. Even in unlock 1 and 2, people observed discipline and implemented the required protocol to a great extent. The new campaign is an attempt to re-invigorate the spirit and make a fresh appeal to the people to follow simple disciplines. The three broad messages are: first, the pandemic is on the decline but not over. Second, there is no vaccine and an assured one-drug for covid-19. Therefore, we should not be afraid but should take precautions. And the third message is that without spending much anybody can protect himself / herself by observing three basic protocols. One, put on the mask. Two, keep a safe distance of 6 feet, and three, sanitize or wash hands after every task is finished.

This campaign is planned essentially through local bodies whom we have supplied with designs of pamphlets, posters, stickers, etc. They will print and paste these in bus, railway and metro stations, all the markets and public places to ensure that people see them and are reminded of this protocol so that after six months through the pandemic, people do not become careless or carefree. This campaign is to instil in them a message that we need to take precautions in the future also. There is no large expenditure as we have essentially designed the campaign and sent to all local bodies. Social media platforms and national broadcasters are also being used to propagate the message.

Air pollution is considered one of the risk factors for covid-19. With winter season setting in, stubble burning has started in areas adjacent to Delhi, which will lead to increase in air pollution. What are your plans to mitigate the impact of air pollution on covid-19? Is the ministry of environment carrying out / planning on any research to study linkage of covid-19 and pollution?

Air pollution in Delhi NCR is a serious issue. The Modi government introduced the Air Quality Index (AQI) in 2015. Acceptance of a problem is the beginning of a solution. The central government has taken many steps. It completed East-West peripheral ways, thereby avoiding 60,000 heavy vehicles a day, which were otherwise passing through Delhi and polluting it. Now it does not happen. Migration to BS-VI is a major step in the reduction of pollution. Electric vehicles are being subsidised and we are seeing thousands of electrical vehicles on roads, as also E-rickshaws and E-motorcycles. Metro rail network has also expanded with greater speed to greater quantum, thereby, serving 5 million people every day, which takes away nearly 500,000 cars from the road. Thus, vehicular pollution is checked to a great extent. 3,000 industries have been converted on PNG and 2,800 brick kilns have been converted to zig-zag technology. Pet-coke is banned. Illegal industries have been closed. Badarpur and Sonepat thermal stations have been closed. Thus, industrial pollution is reduced. To reduce stubble burning, machines with subsidy are given and various other interventions are promoted. Thereby, reduction in stubble burning has taken place in Haryana by 20% and in Punjab by 15%. To overcome the problem of dust pollution, hundreds of dust suppressants and water sprinklers are being used. At the same time, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules were formed and now are implemented reducing the dust pollution from Construction and Demolition activities. Fifty teams of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) inspected all hotspots and carried out remediation immediately. Biomass burning in city has been successfully reduced to a great extent. All the state governments and agencies have been asked to comply with their action plan.

Covid-19 is a new disease. How do you see India’s policy and political response towards the disease in comparison to other countries? What is your message to the country when no vaccine is available?

India’s response to covid-19 is a great success story which many other countries are also emulating. We implemented a strict lockdown, thereby arresting its growth in the initial phase itself. We were not producing and were fully dependent on foreign countries for masks, PPE suits, ventilators, test swab sticks, etc. Out capacity was only for 1,000 tests. Now the testing capacity has increased to 1.3 million per day. Hundreds of covid hospitals and testing labs, along with production and self-sufficiency in all the required material, exporting of pharmaceuticals and medicines to the world are the glaring examples of leading from the front.

What is the government doing to boost the overall economy? What is the impact of covid-19 on heavy industries and public enterprises? What is the government’s plan for their reboot?

Government is taking all the possible steps to improve the economy. The September figures show near normalcy has taken place in GST collection, production, auto sales, electric supply, petrol consumption, etc. Aatmanirbhar package and the first package of Garib Kalyan have addressed the needs of poorer sections, middle-class, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) industries and all sectors. That is why we have succeeded in revamping the economy. Our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is increasing. Our Forex reserve is at the highest and all other economic indicators show a definite revival.

Do you think India has been suffering by the “infodemic” during covid-19 with loads of information available on television, newspapers and social media? What is India doing to combat infodemic?

I will not use the word “infodemic”. In such a situation information flows from all directions. The government’s job is to give correct information, and we are doing it.

The pandemic is stabilizing in India with the average number of cases declining each day. As the festive season is arriving and under unlock-5, the government has allowed gatherings and festive activities. Do you think this may impact the ebbing covid-19 in the country and trigger a fresh wave of infections?

As the winter and festival season are approaching, the government is more cautious and that is why we have launched the second round of public awareness campaign.

Ministry of environment recently issued guidelines for hospitals and quarantine centres to dispose of the waste generated after admission of covid-19 patients. Are the hospitals and quarantine centres following these guidelines? What is the mechanism in place to monitor these facilities? Pharmaceutical companies are involved in preparing vaccines and drugs for covid-19.

CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board)has already issued guidelines for disposal of plastic waste generated during covid-19 with a new protocol and new methods. Such waste disposal is monitored closely.