No-cost indigenous hands-free system keeps tribal workers safe, sanitized

Jay Pachchigar | TNN | May 2, 2020, 04:57 IST

Indigenously modified device

Vadodara: Like always, Kanchan Rathwa, a casual labourer from Raysingpura village of Chhota Udepur district reached the outskirts of his village in Raysingpura on Wednesday morning. He is part of the construction labourers employed to dig a pond.
However, unlike the everyday practice of getting a bucket of water to wash his hands and feet after work, Rathwa was introduced to curious-looking object on Wednesday. He saw two PET bottles hanging from a bamboo rod and tied to a wooden stick on the ground with a rope. To his surprise, he was asked to push the stick to the ground with his feet, while cupping his palms under the bottle. He did as told and some liquid splashed on to his palms. Kanchan was asked to rub it vigorously all over his hand, terming the act as sanitizing — a new terminology for a tribal worker like him. Kanchan went home a happy and safe man.
The two plastic bottles hanging to the bamboo frame and tied to the wooden stick that resembles like the accelerator pedal of a car, is an indigenous hands-free sanitizer system created for around 50 casual labourers at the pond site under MGNREGA scheme. The hand sanitizer system at Raysingpura was done as an experiment
“We had to follow the norms of social distancing for the workers and also ensure that they could get hand sanitizers at the workplace. But if 50 workers use the same bottle, chances of them contracting infection was high. So, we thought of this foot-pedal idea so that they can sanitize themselves without even having to touch the bottle,” explained Maitri Leuva, Chhota Udepur taluka development officer.
Labourers started work a few days ago after lockdown was eased in the rural parts of the country. Within two days, the no-cost hands-free system became very popular in the entire region and could easily be replicated across the state.
“After the system was installed on Wednesday, people from neighbouring villages visited to have a look and now they too want to have a similar system in their village,” said Vikram Rathwa, sarpanch of Raysingpura.
“The system seems to be a grand success within two days. We will try to replicate the same system at other sites of Sujalam Sufalam Yojana in the district,” said Munaf Sheikh, assistant works manager (MGNREGA).