Coronavirus, H1N1 and the filth garbage in Imphal city
- Imphal Times Editorial :: March 18 2020 -

The Coronavirus pandemic has alerted almost all states in India with the number of COVID 19 positive cases reaching 124 (as per the report of the Hindustan Times) across the Country.

Manipur being a border state with Myanmar is no exception in taking up various precautionary measures.

As taken up at other state governments has suspended classes for schools, colleges, and other higher studies till March 31 and also issued a health advisory to avoid mass gathering beside spreading awareness campaign and appealing them to take up precautionary measures and not to panic.

Fortunately, there is no confirmed case of COVID -19 in the state.

Some of the suspects who were under quarantined have been tested negative and as of now, Manipur is free from the dreaded virus which killed 1,82,611 across the globe with maximum numbers in China.

As reported in some of the newspaper the death toll affected by coronavirus reached 3 in India. But most of the media report still miss reporting the number of recovered cases in India.

Of the two Italians tourists who were reportedly admitted at a Hospital in Rajasthan, one had been reported recovered and another who was admitted in critical condition has also been reported improved.

The coronavirus pandemic occurred at a time when there was lots of political chaos among various political parties and civil society organizations over the government’s policies like CAA among others.

Differences between the ruling party at the center and those non-BJP state governments were in the headline few days before the coronavirus issues arrived.

What is fortunate for not only those in the ruling government at the center is that the hate politics seems to have suspended for some time with all political parties in all the states along the Central government are taking up precautionary measures to fight the spread of the virus cutting across party line.

The way the people across the country joined hand to fight the pandemic a rare opportunity for the BJP led NDA government.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi had appealed the people not to be panic while taking up all preventive measures to fight the spread of the dreaded virus.

The government of Manipur too, has been taking up all preventive measures to avoid spreading to the virus in the state.

Meanwhile, while the state government is rolling their heads to the issue of the coronavirus, a shocking report confirmed from the health department is that one person has been detected positive of the H1N1 virus which is popularly known as Swine flu.

While the focus of the country is on the ‘’epidemic’’ Covid-19, as many as 28 people have lost their lives in India due to swine flu this year up to March 1.

According to the Union Health Ministry data, there have been over 1,100 deaths due to swine flu in the country in 2019 and 2018.

Interestingly, the Manipur government seems to have forgotten that equal measures should also be taken up to prevent the spread of H1N1.

As there has been a confirmed case there is a possibility that the virus spread lifting another burden to the state government.

Whether it may be coronavirus or H1N1 virus which causes swine flu, keeping the environment clean particularly at the crowded place is a much.

But it has been 12 days that the IMC authority had stopped picking up garbage from the crowded place as well as from localities.

Now at almost all locality filth garbage started disturbing people.

There is a possibility that a more serious virus which is even more dangerous than the Coronavirus may be born out of this filth garbage being piled up in residential areas of Imphal city.

In that case, who is to blame? Will the world target Manipur for giving birth to another deadly virus as it had done to China just because Wuhan is the epicenter of the disease.

Time for the state government to be serious on health issues by taking up stringent measures to all department or authority to jointly work for prevention of any outbreak.

For that, the government should immediately advise to clean up the mess to all concern departments.