Manchar village adopts Kerala’s umbrella model to keep COVID-19 at bay

█Canopy vs coronavirus

Following in footsteps of Thanneermukkom village down south, gram panchayat in Ambegaon encourages its residents to unfurl an umbrella each time they step out, to help maintain distancing

The arrival of the monsoon in earnest might still be a few weeks away, but villagers at Manchar, some 64-odd km from Pune city, are still stepping out holding open umbrellas over their heads.

The unusual sight has been inspired by the model followed in a village of Kerala — a state that has been at the forefront of tackling COVID-19 effectively. According to this idea, the span of the umbrellas enforces a physical distance of at least three feet from each other, which has become a necessity in the times of the coronavirus pandemic. And, the denizens of Manchar believe that as more and more people step out to enjoy the relaxations in the lockdown, this innovative idea can help them avoid crowding in areas like markets.


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The southwest monsoon usually hits Kerala in the first week of June. But this year, nearly a month before its arrival, the gram panchayat of Thanneermukkom village in Alappuzha district of the southern state asked its villagers to start using umbrellas while going outdoors — all in the name of distancing.

This very ‘umbrella pattern’ was studied by the gram panchayat of Manchar village in Ambegaon tehsil, Pune district, which also decided to follow suit to maintain the safety of its nearly 60,000 residents.

“As we entered phase four of the lockdown and the authorities relaxed some rules, we observed that people immediately started crowding market areas,” shared Datta Ganjale, sarpanch of Manchar village, “It was a sign of danger of coronavirus spreading, and we had to find a solution. While researching the same, we found this economically viable option in a Kerala village and decided to replicate it here.”



Using social media platforms, members of the gram panchayat started spreading information among villagers about the benefits of using an umbrella while going outdoors and soon, the idea caught on. “After reading about the Kerala model, we experimented with gram panchayat members and realised that if two people use an umbrella each, it automatically creates a distance of more than a metre — which is considered safe in avoiding transmission of the coronavirus. So, we bombarded villagers with messages on social media to encourage them to use umbrellas even though the rainy season is yet to come,” elaborated Ganjale.

To further encourage the practice, the gram panchayat also initiated a ‘selfie with umbrella’ contest, just for the women of the village. According to them, it was a success, as more female residents started using the accessory. One such participant, Nital Jadhav, told Mirror, “During the lockdown as well, we had taken part in some social media challenges. Similarly, this ‘selfie with umbrella’ trend caught on, and many women responded positively, using umbrellas each time we go to pick up vegetables, fruit and groceries. In just a week, numbers of people using umbrellas has risen significantly on our streets.”



Besides the consumers, even the shopkeepers say they are feeling safer thanks to the gambit. Sagar Kajale, who owns a jewellery shop in the village, attested, “When crowds started thronging our market, we store owners were also scared. But after this gram panchayat initiative, people are automatically maintaining distance from the counter thanks to an umbrella! Now, I insist that whoever comes into our store must keep the umbrella open and shop.”

The proactive strategy of Manchar seems to have served it well. Despite being the biggest village in Ambegaon tehsil, not a single case of COVID-19 has been found here thus far.

Lauding this alertness, Pune Zilla Parishad chief executive officer Ayush Prasad opined, “The villagers of Manchar are being quite enterprising in their response to the pandemic. Earlier as well, they had taken measures to start home delivery of essentials to avoid crowding — and now this umbrella technique, which has been garnering plaudits.”

However, he cautioned, “There are both advantages and disadvantages of using umbrellas at the moment. The umbrella creates distance, and its biggest advantage is that this restricts spread of COVID-19 in the vicinity. The material of the average umbrella is like a PPE kit, which is helpful in protecting a person from infected droplets. However, there are also minuses — if a user sneezes or coughs while under the umbrella, the virus can remain on its surface. So, users must ensure that they continually sanitise the surface before each use.”