Kumardeep Banerjee
There were four events which caught my attention in the past few days. First, a horse funeral where an entire village turned up, second, a midair marriage with guests jostling over each other for a photo opportunity, third and fourth being thousands of farmers protesting outside Delhi borders over central farm laws. At a time when the country is staring at over three lakh Covid-related deaths (reported),and epidemiologistswarning of the ability of the virus to travel nearly 10 meters as suspended particles in air, it is really criminal to host any such activity when thousands across the country have lost their loved ones and bread-earners in the family.
This comes at a time when key trade and market chugging metros and cities around the country are planning a phased opening of the lockdown. The operative word for any administration in any part of the country is to prevent any such congregations and ensure strict penal action for any “non-Covid behavior”. The only way many Asian countries were able to contain the pandemic to a certain extent was by strict enforcement of rules. To quote an example if one were to enter a mall in one of these countries, they would have to wear a wrist band at the entrance. This wrist band has time sensor and beyond a certain number of hours if the person is located in the samepremises, the band sends and alarm and then the authorities take over. It may not be the best way to ensure safe shopping experiences for Indian shoppers but definitely serves as good template. If metros like Delhi or Mumbai need to have a semblance of normalcy in place, citizen behavior has to change, if not voluntarily, then by regulation. The cities will have to keep some restrictions in place and properly executed at least till end of 2021. Any crowding in public spaces has to be discouraged, restrictions on number of travelers in public transport needs to continue.
All of this sounds easy, but requires a slow and steady move towards re-designing urban spaces. If people have recreation centers, parks, workspaces, schools and healthcare available in, say, a five-kilometer area, they won't need to travel long distances. The effortshave to be honest and not populist moves of putting some glossy picturesof swanky recreational centers which lie under lock and key for most part of the year. State and local administrations with help from the central government have to build local healthcare infrastructure and sustainable self-sufficientneighborhoods. The concept of ‘Work from Anywhere' is here to stay, and with the second wave it is nearly going to be permanent for many in the working phase of their lives. Urban planners along with perhaps epidemiologists and climate experts need to sit down and assist government in reimaging and quickly rebuilding these new metros for tomorrow.
The other aspect is about vaccination. I happened to visit a couple of vaccination centers around Delhi in the past few days and what I saw was best described as ‘chefs trying to fly an aircraft'. The entire affair is ill-managed with support and security staff crowding and violating all social distancing norms. The other issue was no availability of vaccines at these centers. What is important is for politicians to understand that vaccineswon't buy them votesin the long run. People rush to get free vaccines,but there is aconsiderable size of the population that is willing to, and can afford to, buy a jab for about Rs 1500. The entire argument here is for Central and State governments to swallow their egos and work like a team. A transparent vaccination policy with availability and projections (accurate to the last few thousand doses),tracking mechanism for all centers in real time (ifpossible, on a dashboard) has to be created and shared. In the absence of a clear strategy and shifting goal posts on vaccinations, a slow hesitancy is creeping up. Theevolving theory around the virus also suggests that people may have to take yearly shots (like they do for a flu) for a couple of more years over and above the two doses. The government has to prioritize vaccination and do so with a sense of one-country-all-jabbed.
(The author is a policy analyst. The views expressed are personal.)
