Self-discipline keeps Dokiparru free from coronavirus
Residents of Nakkalapalem hamlet in Krishna district. (Inset) Asha worker Sujatha
Vijayawada: While the state has set a record in surge in Covid cases and people are struggling to get beds, oxygen and injections, there is a hamlet in Gudlavalleru mandal in Krishna district which is living without fear of Covid pandemic.
Sounds surprising, Doesn't it? Yes. This is the story of Dokiparru village which has a population of about 200. While all villages in the district have reported Covid-19 positive cases, this village has succeeded in keeping the novel virus at bay all these days!
This village has also set an example of good governance. It has proved that self discipline, collective decisions and strong determination to follow rules can keep all evils at bay.
How did they succeed? The villagers generally don't allow any strangers enter their village. Similarly, they wash hands and feet and enter homes whenever they return from other places or other villages.
Local Asha worker Jangam Sujatha said outsiders generally don't come to the village and the villagers habituated to live within the village.
She said the villagers stopped celebrating festivals and avoided mass prayers in churches to stay free from coronavirus. Sujatha said the people are habituated to use sanitiser every day and it is helpful to stay safe from coronavirus. She said the church was closed for a long time and the villagers are praying at their homes on Sundays. No festivals, no marriages for more than a year in the village, she added.
Dokiparru ANM D Vijaya Lakshmi said the villagers strictly follow the Covid protocol while doing their day-to-day work and farm works for livelihood. Vijaya Lakshmi said the villagers depend on the agriculture for eking out their livelihood and usually don't go out mask-less at any cost. The villagers have cultivated the habit of purchasing provisions and vegetables once in a week to avoid meeting people of other villages in the markets or shops. K Basavaiah, a villager of Nakkalapalem, hoped all villagers would follow Covid protocol till the pandemic is over and stay safe.