ASHA worker, fisherman on mission 'COVID awareness' in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district

Sources said, as many as four people got infected after coming in contact with a migrant worker who returned to Taratang from West Bengal and flouted all rules and roamed freely.
Fisherman Kulamani Tarai and son Hiranya singing local folk songs as part of awareness on COVID-19. (Photo| EPS)
Fisherman Kulamani Tarai and son Hiranya singing local folk songs as part of awareness on COVID-19. (Photo| EPS)

JAGATSINGHPUR: Even as the government and district administrations are making all-round efforts to keep second COVID wave in control, contribution of people at ground level in creating awareness about the virus cannot be missed.

In Jagatsinghpur district, different communities like fishermen and ASHA workers are coming up with innovative ways to create awareness about COVID-appropriate behaviour, at places where people are throwing all precautions to the wind despite repeated appeals by the government. 

In Taratang panchayat under Jagatsinghpur block here, Jyotirmayee Mishra, an ASHA worker is blowing conch to gather people and educate them about the virus. She has been doing this since last year when the pandemic first struck.

With the second wave, her commitment has only got stronger as she goes on to convince people to mask up, avoid crowd and maintain hand hygiene to avoid getting infected.

Sources said, as many as four people got infected after coming in contact with a migrant worker who returned to Taratang from West Bengal and flouted all rules and roamed freely. Sarpanch of Taratang Rangadhar Bhoi vouched for Jyotirmayee's contribution towards COVID awareness in the panchayat.

"Jyotirmayee's innovative efforts as an ASHA worker are effective in driving home the message of safety guidelines," he said. 

Jyotirmayee said she resorted to blowing conch as a way of educating and convincing people about coronavirus as most often, they do not pay heed to the official guidelines. "I am seeing people violate shutdown norms. Even returnees are flouting mandatory quarantine. They need to be convinced in whichever way possible. I am just doing my bit," she said. 

Similarly, fisherman Kulamani Tarai  along with his son Hiranya are singing Odia folk songs across slums in Paradip, to make people aware about the grave situation and convince them to stay at home and adopt needful safety measures.  Tarai is also persuading people to get vaccinated.

“I am using songs to deliver social messages. I go from door to door selling fish and utilise it as an opportunity to spread awareness,” she said.  Sources said, there is a perceptible degree of acceptance among public when local communities rather than officials interact  with them for awareness drives. People are way more receptive to ground-level educators because of personal interaction, they said. 

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