India is in a good position to overcome, situated as it is in the middle of the world. Their huge population means that they can broker deals for the benefit of their citizens.
Firstly, India can issue the poor with rubber gloves to fend off infection with Covid-19. They should be durable and washable. Any global company should be honoured to have the contract, as their product will be famous within a single generation.
Secondly, give the poor and migrant workers that will make them proud. Ask them to clean railway stations and trains after every journey. There could be teams at every station to clean seats of those who have left the train there. They could also swab railway platforms before a train is due and after it has left.
When the train reaches its destination, this army of workers will clean the interior and exterior. Call them keyworkers and give them a pride in spotless trains and a way to contain Covid-19 and other strains of Coronavirus. Do I have that right?
Make travellers carry hand sanitisers or wear gloves. Not disposable ones, but washable ones. The world has not figured out what to do with disposable gloves or disposable masks.
Let India lead the world. Actually, I am jealous. How wonderful it would be to travel in a spotless train. We could do the same with UK trains, as thousands are out of work following lockdown. Compete within railway stations. Pride is important. Competition can be fun. Otherwise, the UK needs 70,000 fruit pickers as the usual people are not coming.
Issue every household if possible, with cleaning products that will attack Coronavirus. If that action will poison drinking water, then you cannot do it.
Although it is a dry country, has India dug wells for water? WaterAid is a charity, seeking to give fresh water to indigenous people. In 2001, I was in Los Angeles and from the bus taking us to the hotel, I saw what I thought was drilling for oil. Apparently not. They were digging for water to keep up with LA’s increasing water consumption. What happened downstream to other cities wanting more water, must be a headache.
As for a lack of water, I found a supermarket offering a car wash. I looked into a black bucket, where there was a small drop of water, yet the cars were spotless. By hard work and polishing, those workers had done a superb job. Maybe with cleaning products, you can avoid the demand for water.
Make companies compete longterm for the cleaning products at the train stations. Make the cleaning products bio-degradable and India will have another win.
In the short term, choose the best product for the lowest price. Companies will want their cleaning products to be advertised freely by key workers and this is a massive opportunity for them. Of course, those who can pay, should pay, if only to keep India running.
Keep safe, stay well
LucyLou
Lucyloupoliblog 