THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the entire government machinery is busy fighting the pandemic, social media, especially WhatsApp, is playing a crucial role in the dissemination of important information to the public. In the state capital, the district administration has devised a unique strategy by forming WhatsApp groups under the name -- Arogya Jagratha Covid-19 -- to reach out to the masses.
These multiple WhatsApp groups, which have been formed at the panchayat ward level, will act as a platform and fill the communication gap between the public and the authorities.
Interesting and catchy slogans including trolls and memes to inform, educate and communicate are being shared via the groups to draw the attention of the residents. “WhatsApp groups are already active in around 150 wards in different panchayats across the district. The idea is to reach out to the grassroot level. Ever since the outbreak, almost every department is engaged in the efforts to contain the pandemic. This is also a time when the entire health system and local bodies launch drives against dengue fever.
The local bodies gear up to launch pre-monsoon sanitation drive which is crucial to control the outbreak of communicable diseases, especially vector-borne ones. Because of the current situation, we have now decided to put them on hold and create awareness on the same via social media,” said an official. Many crucial campaigns including effective household waste management, drive against dengue, and crucial interaction between the quarantined families and ward members are getting streamlined via these groups.
“We have formed a district-level WhatsApp group with top officials from various departments to disseminate important information to the grassroot level,” said the official.
Ward-level groups
Parassala panchayat president S Suresh said groups have been formed in all 23 wards in his panchayat. “We have formed decentralised groups to streamline all Covid-19 activities along with waste management and mosquito control.
Twenty-three groups comprising 230 members are working on the field and keeping residents in the loop,” he said. Waste management is becoming a real concern as waste collection and disposal activities have come to a halt because of the lockdown.
“We have asked the residents to segregate and store inorganic waste which would be collected after the lockdown. ASHA workers and other field staff are carrying out house visits and we have decided to instruct them to tell the residents to keep their home mosquito-free and destroy all mosquito breeding grounds,” the official added.