Sharing the Load with Ariel #WashBucketChallenge

Balancing is the key to a successful relationship. When the wife can go out daily and earn for her family, why can’t the husband do the household chores of once in a while? If the woman of the house is taking up a job to support the family along with her man, the man should also cook food for the family or do the laundry once in a while. A recent study showed that almost 76% of men think that laundry is only a women’s job and 77% of men depend on women for doing their laundry! When women are already playing cricket and going to space, it is really surprising to know that most men are still stuck with the idea that household work are only meant for women.When I shared this fact with him, he looked at me and said,” Trust me, I do not belong to that 77%”. I said “Prove yourself” to which he replied “Challenge accepted!”

A few days later, I came across the #ShareTheLoad activity from Ariel in association with Blogadda and jumped out of excitement because I was exactly looking for such an opportunity to see if he can really do the laundry. I called him up and asked him if dares to take the challenge of doing the laundry by himself and pledge to #ShareTheLoad. I mailed him the details of the challenge and once he confirmed, I registered for it. I got a confirmation email in few days followed by a pack of Ariel Matic powder in my mail.

I handed him the packet and told him to get started. He asked “What about you? You’re helping me with this, right?” I replied,”Sorry, I will be clicking the pictures only, this is a challenge, either do it by yourself or give up”. He (makes funny face)-” Ya, ya, whatever!” He took a bucket full of clothes and switched on the washing machine. Then he took the packet of Ariel Matic, read the instructions carefully and washed the clothes. In five minutes , he was done. The clothes were clean and smelled fresh. This is how he #SharedTheLoad and completed the #WashBucketChallenge. He told me that he feels happy to take the challenge and happier as he could complete it all alone without my help. I feel the happiest because he will be helping me with the laundry from now on.Afterall, sharing is caring.

Meanwhile, when he was sharing the story with the next door kid, this happened…..

This post is a part of the #WashBucketChallenge activity at BlogAdda.com is association with Ariel India.

India and E-Governance

With the growth of information and communication technology, India has been quite successful in serving different parts of the country, especially in villages where people are mostly devoid of any significant development. In the past two decades, the Indian government took some major steps in improving their services towards the people. One such initiative is e-governance or electronic governance. It is the application of information and communication technology for delivering government services and to exchange information. Through e-governance, the government has tried to set up a strong connection with the citizens of India through a two-way communication process. The aim of the government is to make sure that the people are getting access to the services properly. The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) has been formulated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

The digitization of India and e-learning has been a major step by the government to carry out e-governance. Almost 72% of the total population in India comprises of villages. The use of broadband has helped in connecting people across the country, especially from remote areas and led to faster dissemination of information. It is a convenient method of learning which has helped in connecting the management, teaching faculty and students easily at very low cost and has provided transparency in learning. Equal opportunity to use to information is also provided regardless of distance barriers. Thus e-governance is playing a vital role in rural development.  Providing computer and internet facilities to every houses will help in further development and increase literacy rate by giving access to information and communication technology to everybody. The government also strives to provide better livelihood opportunities, providing basic amenities, development of healthcare facilities apart from educating people.

In the past two decades, the government has taken up many schemes to improve the standard of living in villages. Schemes like “Bharat Nirman” was developed to provide adequate water supply, housing facility, telecommunication and information technology, proper roads and electrification. In future, the government can promote sustainable development through e-governace by encouraging use of solar and wind and hydropower energy to produce electricity and using information and communication tools through them. This will save electricity and cut the high cost which in turn can be put to the development of the country. “Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna” is another step to improve the agricultural process and increase the yield. The e-governance provides services to stock owners and farmers by providing them information on crop selection, disaster management etc through centralized agricultural portal, kisan centres and mobiles. The project stresses on using information technology in all stages of  agricultural development. E-governance in next few years will connect farmers globally and give them the exposure to international markets. The introduction of e-dhara project for total computerization of land records has been very successful. The government has also tried to establish a public-private partnership wherever feasible. Services like banking, ticket booking through IRCTC online, use of e-post office services, checking status of PAN application and online application of passport and visa has helped in fast transactions and promoted paperless documentation. Aadhaar authentication and e- KYC (Know You Customer) has made the verification process much easier and helped people immensely.

Our Prime Minister, Shree Narendra Modi believes in development of India using latest technologies and  believes in the mantra of empowering India digitally. His project on digital India solely focuses on e-governance as a tool for development and education of the masses. To develop India, utilization of information and technology is necessary. To take his vision and mission further, Intel is committed to take forward the digital India mission and bridge the gap between rural and urban India.

This post is a part of Digital India contest by Indiblogger in association with Intel

Image: 1, 2

 

 

 

How I #ChooseToStart My Smartphone Journey

Do you remember your first smart phone buying experience? I asked my dad to buy me a smartphone recently because the phone I was using had limited features. For me, buying a smart phone was not an easy decision. I made sure, I did a good research before buying a smart phone so that I can get a phone with all the features I wanted, like:

• It should have a good battery life
• Should take blur free and good pictures
• Should have a good memory for storage
• Must have an attractive and classy look

After much research, I settled with the handset “Moto E (2nd Generation)” from the brand Motorola. It has been more than a week since I am using the Moto E (2nd Gen) and here’s what I love about my smartphone:

Firstly, the reason behind buying a Motorola phone is that, my very first handset was from the same brand and it was a good phone in terms of performance and looked classy. I have used my first Motorola set for almost 3 years in a row without any problem so naturally I had high hopes from Moto E (2nd Gen) too. Secondly, the phone suits my budget. At Rs. 6999/- only, this phone is a real steal! Being a blogger, I have to stay connected to people on different social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. This phone has 8Gb internal storage and 32Gb expandable memory, which let me download loads of apps without any problem. I can switch apps without lag and its super fast 3g connectivity ensures that I do not miss a single notification.

Whenever I get bored, I simply plug in my earphones and listen to my favourite songs or play games. This phone offers me amazing sound clarity and awesome graphics so that I can get the best sound and playing experience. It has an amazing battery life that lasts the whole day. So when I am travelling, I do not have to worry about running out of charge even when I am using GPS for directions.

Being a beauty blogger, I have to take a lot of pictures. Many times when I do not have my camera with me, I use my Moto E (2ndGen) camera to click pictures and it has a decent picture quality of 5 megapixels. It also has a 0.3 megapixel front camera for selfie lovers like me. I also use it as a mirror for little touch ups.

I usually mess up things when I am in a hurry but thankfully, my Moto E (2nd Gen) has water-repellant coating and Corning Gorilla Glass which protects it from damage. The anti-smudge coating on the screen keeps the fingerprints away and keeps my phone looking great. Lastly, the phone has a curved and sleek design which makes it look classy and the rounded edges makes it easy to hold. I #ChooseToStart my style statement with my Moto E (2nd Gen) smartphone.

Still stuck deciding which smart phone to buy? Go ahead and give the new Moto E (2nd Gen) a try!

This post is a part of  #ChooseToStart contest by Motorola in association with Indiblogger

Images: 1, 2

#LakmeSchoolOfStyle: My Take

Hello girls, so recently I have been a little frequent on YouTube checking out funny videos and makeup tutorials. While browsing makeup tutorials, i came across Lakme India’s YouTube channel called the “Lakme School Of Style”. I was sure that it will have some wonderful makeup tutorials but when I browsed it for a while, I saw that it has many videos other than makeup which included some fun  and random topics, lifestyle and fashion videos and also few videos on social awareness. I was happy to see that Lakme has covered so many topics in its vlog. Out of so many videos, Two of them were my favourite and in this post I will talk about both of them.

1. The first video is: Pamper your lips with Lakme Lip Love.

As we know, these wonderful tinted lip balms from Lakme were launched two months back and has since been loved by all. The video shows you the right way to take care of your lips. Model and Lakme school of Style vlogger Maia Sethna tells us how.We all are conscious about our skin and use different products on our face but we usually neglect our lips. For a lovely pink pout, it is necessary to take good care of our lips. This video tells us to exfoliate and moisturize our lips well to get soft lips. For exfoliation we can mix a spoonful of sugar and honey in a bowl and slowly rub the mixture on our lips.

This will help to remove dead cells from the lips, making it soft. Follow up with Lakme Lip Love lip care lip balm for instantly moisturized lips. The lip balm is available in  four variants- Cherry, Strawberry, Vanilla and Peach. This lip balm from Lakme has SPF 15 that protects your lips from harmful UV rays and give you soft and luscious lips with subtle tint.

2. The second video is: 5 Must-have bags for a fashion girl.

Who doesn’t love bags? I do, in fact I’m crazy about bags. I found this video really helpful. In this vlog, Lakme School of Style vlogger, Sanjana Banaik tells us about the 5 bags every fashionista should own. They are:

• Tote Bags

A tote os large bag with parallel handles from the sides. It is usually used to carry essential stuffs like books, water bottle, sunglass, lip balm etc and can also serve as your shopping bag.

• Clutches

You all know what clutches are! Get a clutch that complete your look any carry it anywhere you go.

• Cross-body Bags

Also known as satchels, these bags come with long adjustable and detachable handle so that you can carry it across your body as a cross-body bag or remove the handle to carry it as normal handbag. Take a cross body bag to your college or office for a chic look.

• Structured Bags

Structured bags are those bags which do not loose shape when they are empty and are quite sturdy. Structured bags can be carried to casual outing or date.

• Holdall Bags

Also known as weekend bags. These are large bags to carry a lot of stuffs and are good companion on short trips.

 Images: Google

This post is a part of the #LakmeSchoolOfStyle activity at BlogAdda.com is association with #Fame’

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Posing Perfect With Garnier Pure Active Neem Face Wash

Puberty and pimples are co-related because most of us have faced pimple problems during our early teenage. During this age, our body undergoes various physical and emotional changes as a result of hormonal growth. Pimples are tiny zits that appear commonly in cheek  and forehead area. There are two parts in our skin pores- outer and inner. The inner part produces sebum from sebaceous gland. This sebum when comes in contact with dead skin cells of the outer part, they stick together and block the pore, as a result the area gets infected and causes pimples.

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I had very oily skin since my teenage and  naturally, pimples always bothered me. These pimples were painful and often settled into dark spots. It gave me endless mental trauma and stress. I did silly things to hide those ugly pimple marks and avoid embarrassment like:

• In summer, I used to cover my face with a cotton dupatta while I went out and in winter I wouldn’t let go my woolen scarf off my face.
• I couldn’t concentrate on my classes and exam time was my biggest nightmare as my pimple problem would increase due to stress.
• I could take part in college activities mainly due to the fear of people noticing my pimples
• I couldn’t experiment much with different hair-dos and haircuts, I had to get thick front bangs for my hair so that it came down till my cheeks and covered my pimples.
• I took hours to do my makeup if I had to go out anywhere. I tried different concealers that gave heavy coverage and spent  hours in front of the mirror trying to hide my pimple marks.
• I avoided getting my pictures clicked and if I ever got my picture clicked, I had to edit it for hours to hide my pimple marks.
• I took out time from my busy schedule (studies+blogging) and tried endless remedies to get rid of them. I applied sandalwood paste, went to the doctor, took medications, checked my diet but nothing cured my pimples effectively.

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When I almost  lost hope, my cousin told me about Garnier Pure Active Neem Face Wash. I have always heard about the effectiveness of neem against fighting pimples but never really tried it on my skin. So, when I saw that this face wash has neem as the key ingredient, I went ahead and got a 100 ml tube for myself at Rs.90 only. I fell in love with the product after using it for a week because:

• Neem is a natural disinfectant and purifies blood imparting a natural glow to the face.
• Comes easy on pocket, good for students like me
• Comes in a small tube of 50g and packaging is travel friendly too so I can carry it wherever I go, all I need is to find out a washbasin!
• Only a small amount is enough to clean the entire face and it cleanses really well
• Soap free and hence it is not harsh on skin and retain skin’s moisture
• Works on pimples and also fades pimple marks effectively
• It also removes light makeup easily

I am very happy that I trusted Garnier Pure Active Neem face wash and used it regularly to get rid of my pimples. It has provided me many benefits like:

• It has given me the confidence to go out and interact with people without any fear of people noticing my pimples.
• I can finally experiment with different hairstyles and hairdos
• I can go out without makeup
• I can sleep peacefully without worrying about my pimples.
• Concentrate on my classes and take part in different activities.
• Click lots of pictures and share them with friends without the worry of editing
• Stress-free life and a happy me 🙂

I’ll suggest everyone who is suffering from pimples to try the Garnier Pure Active Neem face wash and say goodbye to your pimple problems permanently like I did. Know more about it here.

This post is a part of Indiblogger contest in association with Garnier Pure Active Neem.

Images: 1, 2

 

 

Out Of The Box

Love is a special feeling. It has the power to heal the greatest wound. Back in my school days, when I was in class 11, I had a crush on one of my senior who was a year older to me. He helped me with my studies, guided me during my exams, we went out to watch movies together and eat around at weekends. Our favourite hangout spot was a small and cozy restaurant near our school. Soon he finished his school and moved to Bangalore but that didn’t stop us from talking or seeing each other. I still have a crush on him and the feeling has grown intense with time. It has been already 4 years of knowing him and we are best friends though I know the feeling we share for each other is beyond friendship.

So, I have decided that this Valentine’s day I’ll take the initiative and propose my crush! Since we meet once in few months, I have already told him to be in Kolkata with me on 14th February. I want to make the day special for him and I want him to remember every bit of it. So I have made a plan to gift him one of the most memorable day of his life.

On the morning of 14th February, I’ll send him a text around 9:00 a.m. saying: ” Hey I sprained my leg, could you please come up to my house ASAP?!”. As he will rush to my house and reach my door, he will find a box with a “FOR YOU, OPEN IT” message written on it. As he opens the box he will find a scroll with an instruction written on it. It will read somewhat like this: ” Follow the path and be the happiest man on the earth, go down through the stairs and you will find a teddy bear.”  As he will go down he will find a teddy bear on the last step, I’ll ask my friend living downstairs to place the teddy once she finds him going up to my room on the second floor. The teddy will be the  same one that he gifted me on my birthday 4 years back so when he’ll recognize it,  he can’t stop smiling. Beside the teddy he will find a small box and in it he will find a car key and another message saying “First gift is always special, I hope you found my car key, it is waiting outside to take you to a fun ride.” As he will get inside the car, he will find another note on the steering saying “Get down at our favourite food joint and you will find me there.”

Once he reaches the restaurant, he will find me waiting for him outside. I’ll make all the necessary arrangements beforehand to surprise him. He will find whole restaurant decorated in blue, his favourite color. I’ll place a big pin board near the entrance and it will have all our pictures and other memories pinned to it like the page of the slam book he filled for me at school, few pages from the copy where he used to teach me maths, few postcards we exchanged and things he often told me over phone like “Will you ever learn to cook?” or ” You are the craziest girl I have ever met” etc. The things will get more nostalgic and special with his favourite songs playing in the background and maybe we can also do some dance to it. I’ll also ask the staffs to wear customized T-shirts in white with the message ” Because you are special” with his picture printed below it. I’m sure he will be more than happy with these fun surprises. As we finish having his favourite food, I’ll hand over him the last scroll, which reads “There is one last surprise left, I promise this will be the best.”

Then I’ll take him to a movie and few minutes before the movie ends, I’ll make an excuse and go to the public address system of the multiplex to take the last and the boldest step. I am not very extrovert, so this step will surely be a challenge for me and a big surprise for him. As soon as the movie ends, I’ll tell the three magical words from the PA system there so that everybody present there could hear it including him. I know he can’t deny my love after this. I am very excited to execute my plans. This Valentine’s Day will be all about winning the love of my crush.

This post is a part of  Closeup Cupid Games 2015 Indi Happy Hour contest in association with Indiblogger

Images: 1, 2, 3

 

The Litterate Litterbug

Beware! Beware of the litterbug! Have you seen him today? Yes, that man, that man in striped white and black trousers, a crisp white shirt tucked in and a black coat over it. His half bald head shining in its crowning glory. He is watching everything but he will ignore anything and everything that will stop him from doing his “job”. He has qualities that you will fear to possess. He is shameless, lazy and stubborn and he has a duty towards the nation, he call it an art, the art of “littering”. He is a certified litterate.

For him, the road, the walls and any open space outside his house is a white canvas where he loves splashing his colors with intricate physical gestures. His favourite art is peeing on the walls, especially on those that comes with a warning ” Yahaan peshab karna mana hai!” To him it is like spray painting. He loves to pee on the walls of the children’s park, outside the school walls and even outside his office walls too. He is a keen shooter. He has mastered the art throwing things in wrong places with utmost accuracy. Thanks to his dedication in learning the art since he was 5! He is allergic to dust bins and he will never risk his health by using it. Every morning, he will fill his office bag with garbage and on his way to his office. He will show his shooting skills on the road. He would mumble “here goes the tissue paper near the cake shop, here goes the banana peel near the post office and here goes the plastic bag right in front of the library entrance.”

He is a real babu moshai, he loves chewing paan . You will find his mouth constantly chewing paan like a cow chewing the cud and he will spit in every 5 minutes.  You want to get your house painted? Don’t worry, we have our babu moshai at your service! Give him two days and you will find even the nosiest aunty of your neighbourhood admiring the art he did with his spit on the white-washed walls of your house. Dare to ask him about  the Swachh Bharat campaign? I tried once, he said “It is the duty of the government, why do we elect our ministers for if we had to work for the betterment for the country? Sorry, I’m already preoccupied with my own work”. Of course Sir! this is why I say, do not underestimate the power of a litterbug!

 So what, if our Prime Minister, Shree Narendra Modi  is trying hard to make India a better and cleaner place. So what if most of the people are supporting the government for the same. The litterbug is one of its kind. He is free to follow his heart. His heart beats for the love of art. He is an artist and staying away from art is blasphemous. Impose heavy fine on him, put him jail or insult him publicly, I bet you can’t change him. He is the boss of his “trash-cratic” world- of the trash, for the trash and obviously by the trash!

This post is a part of The Great Indian Litterbug Happy Hour campaign in association with Indiblogger.

Images: 1, 2, 3

The Bitter Truth

How many of you remember the puppet “Pinocchio” from the Walt Disney film whose nose would grow every time he told a lie? We all have lied at least once in our life, maybe to our parents, friends, relatives or to our teachers. Our very early lessons in life was about being honest and truthful in life. But as we grow up, we discover that telling the truth can be hard while lying is rewarding and can help us to get away smoothly from complicated situations. Truth is often harsh, it brings a person face-to-face with the reality while lying is easy. The outcome of lying can be disastrous but the immediate reaction is always pleasant.

While lying becomes crucial at times because they may mend broken relationships or save our job, getting into a habit of lying can lead to complications and break trust. It may also isolate us from your social circle and make us the butt of all jokes. As we mature, we realize from our experiences that no matter how much we try to hide the reality, no amount of big or small lie can camouflage it for long. The truth will reveal with time and it will hurt many but ultimately it will restore people’s faith in us and there won’t be guilt pangs bothering us from time to time.

 

 

I have come across a few situations in life where telling the truth was very hard because it involved people who were very close to me. I’m sharing one such situation here that took place two years back around this time of the year, me and my cousin who was three years elder to me were studying in the same University in Kolkata. I was in my first year of graduation and she was in her first year of post graduation. It was already three months since our final exams were over and we were eagerly waiting for the results. The day her result was out, we were in Delhi with our families to attend a wedding. Me and my cousin somehow managed to sneak out without telling anyone that her result was out. We went into a nearby cyber cafe and checked her result, She couldn’t qualify. This was the first time she has not qualified in an exam, she was devastated. I encouraged her to study hard and suggested her to reappear for the exam next year. She requested me not to break this news in the family as she didn’t want to hurt her parents. We were supposed to leave directly for Kolkata once the wedding was over instead of going back home. This means, she has to break the news over the phone. “Won’t that be more hurting?” I wondered. I was in a dilemma, on one side was my cousin, who was like my best friend and on one side were her parents, unaware of their daughter’s result. Every time I was talking to them, a sense of guilt grasped me hard from within. The clock struck 3, everyone was busy with the last-minute arrangements for the wedding. The” Shubh Muhurat” was at 7 p.m. I thought, “Enough! If I would have been in her place, would I have done exactly what she is doing?” My heart said “NO!”. Without wasting any more time, I went to my aunt and told her to call uncle, my cousin was standing a little away from that place, busy talking to the would-be-bride. As they came, I broke the news. The news spread faster than a wildfire. My cousin was embarrassed, I wanted to explain everything to her but she refused to speak. The wedding ceremony ended in few hours, the bond between me and my cousin….in few seconds.

Yes, I know I have lost my cousin, my best friend, my guide but hadn’t I broke the news that day, I’m sure she wouldn’t have told her parents either. I’m happy that I told the truth and did what was right instead of lying to everyone and pretending as if nothing as happened.

P.S.: My cousin has successfully completed MBA from a renowned institute this year and is currently working in a bank.

This post is a part of Indi Happy Hour campaign by Indiblogger in association with Kinley

A Road to Safer India

Road safety is an important social issue in India. In India, the annual rate of deaths due to road accidents is over 200,000. With the growth of urbanization, India stands among the top 10 economy in the world. This means the number of imports and exports are increasing steadily every year, a large part of which covers through road transport. As a result, the pressure on roadways is also increasing. While India is expanding its economy through its roadways, this has also resulted in an alarming increase of road accidents.

Usually drunk-driving, driving over speed, road rages are some of the most common reasons for the occurrence of accidents in our country. In a recent survey, it was seen that India has the highest rate of deaths due to road accidents in 2013. A majority of the victims were in the between the age group of 25-45 years. Road safety and following traffic rules are mandatory and unfortunately many people are ignorant about these rules. According to a study made by the World Health Organization, wearing helmets while riding bikes can cut death rates by almost 30% and using seat belts while driving can cut death rates by 50%. Most of the youngsters in our country do not use helmets while riding motorcycles; they are also very casual about maintaining the speed limit. A motorcycle is made accommodate two persons at a time, but there are few people who ride with their family of four which includes children too. The worst part is, these people do not bother for their own safety or for their families. This is a common scenario in India, where four persons are on a motorcycle, with only the rider wearing a helmet and rest all are clinging to him tightly with no other precautions or safety measures. People who drive four-wheelers often cross speed limit, drive recklessly on highways late at night and do not wear seat belts which results in frequent cases of crashes and head on collisions. Availing public transport is also not safe these days. Buses and auto-rickshaws are the most availed public transports on the road. Though the government buses charge less, these buses are not well maintained as the private ones and their conditions are usually dilapidated. Added to this is rash driving, drivers are more interested in overtaking each other on the road and do not focus on safe driving. Added to this are our poorly maintained roads and highways. Together they take away the lives of many innocent people every year.

As a responsible citizen of this country, I believe, few strict and immediate measures can check road accidents to a great extent. When I am driving on the road, it is not only my responsibility to obey traffic rules and to make sure that I’m safe on the road but I should also keep in mind the safety of other people on the road. Firstly, traffic rules and laws should be a part of the regular curriculum in schools, especially for students of class VIII and above. Minors should not be encouraged about driving, even if they are doing so under the guidance of an adult. Individuals driving under 18 years of age must be penalized and if found guilty of the same offense more than once, they should be punished as per law. Wearing seat belts while driving should be made mandatory and people not doing so must be highly penalized and their driving license must be suspended for six months. Celebrating road safety week once in a year and hosting campaigns on road safety in various governmental and non-governmental organizations can help to spread awareness among the mass. People driving motorcycles should wear helmets and people who cross speed limit or drive recklessly should be punished and their vehicles should be seized immediately. Putting up banners about the importance of road safety and possible punishment on breaking them can be placed near highways or nearby traffic signals. This will grab attention of passers-by and educate them about road rules. Places where there are one-way roads, the chances and occurrence of accidents are comparatively less. Erecting proper road dividers, lighting up the roadsides properly and adding bright signboards can reduce road accidents. In many places the signboards are not well maintained or are missing which again leads to accidents. Last but not the least, since roads are one of the most used means of transport, they should be well maintained for smooth movement of vehicles. The busy roads and highways of metro cities are full of potholes; the condition worsens with the onset of monsoon each year. If our government can take proper measures to maintain these roads, accidents in our country can be reduced by a quarter in next 5 years.

Nissan Safety Driving Forum (NSDF) is a wonderful initiative by the Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. which was started in 2012 to aware people nationwide about the importance of road safety. Through its Blue Citizenship CSR umbrella, NSDF by Nissan encourages drivers and passengers to wear seat belts. Initially it covered three main Indian cities – New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai and since then it has gradually expanded to other cities like Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Vadodara, Nagpur, Chennai, Mangalore and Kochi. The overall reach has grown effectively and NSDF has reached close to 2 lakhs citizens presently.

 

Images: 1, 2

This post is a part of the contest by Indiblogger in association with Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Let’s Be Wise and Sanitize!

India has been a victim of poor sanitation for ages. In a developing country like India, people are constantly shifting from small villages to towns and cities in search of better job opportunities and in a hope to lead a better life. As a result the cities and towns are getting more and more congested. Adding to it, scarcity of drinking water and poor sanitation go hand in hand. The scenario in rural areas of our country is not very different.

Proper hygiene and sanitation is the key to good health. In our day-to-day life too, hygiene and sanitation plays a major role in our well-being. In a family, all the members are equally responsible to take care of each other and the home they live in. In a report by The Hindu, more than 80% of the villages in India do not have access to basic sewage system for disposal of waste. More than 600 million people in India do not have access to toilets in their home or locality. A large number of people in rural areas defecate in the open. Another survey conducted in major cities of India found that more than 50% of these cities do not have access to proper water supply in their houses. The situation is getting worse with the rise in population each year

Sanitation means following hygienic means to prevent hazards that can affect our health. To maintain hygiene at home, we must have access to basic sanitation. Basic sanitation means proper ways to dispose and manage human waste and excreta through proper drainage system. As an individual we must make sure that our house and every other house in our locality has a toilet and every person using it is taking care of basic hygiene like washing hands with soap, using clean water in toilet, keeping the toilet clean by spraying disinfectants etc. We must also make sure that the water we drink is not contaminated and free of germs. In a developing country like India, more than half of the population do not get access to water and a large part of those who have access to water, do not get clean water. Thus, people cannot put such water to better uses other than washing and cleaning purposes. Using water filters or purifiers is the only option to purify contaminated water. In rural areas where people cannot afford water filters, rely on boiling water. Unfortunately more than 3/4^th of rural population are unaware of the benefits of drinking boiled water or don’t have access to gas or stoves to do so.

In families where there are small children, proper sanitation and maintaining good hygiene is must for their growth and development. We must also make sure that our children get access to clean drinking water not only in their home but also in the school they go to. We must also see that every school in the locality have toilets and water filters. Without these hygienic practices, anybody may fall sick. More than 1000 children dies each year due to water-borne and sanitation related diseases like diarrhoea. In rural areas there have been cases of stunted child growth due to poor sanitation and shortage of clean drinking water. People in rural areas must be made aware about the need of proper hygiene and sanitation. Defecating in the open is not only harmful for the person practicing it but is also harmful for the locality where it takes place. Usually people living in slums defecate near railway tracks and live nearby those areas as well. Rural people should be encouraged to build toilets in their home, consume clean water and practice basic hygiene in their day-to-day life.

On the national level too, proper sanitation will bring good health and generate economic growth for the country as there will be reduction in cost catering to health issues. A part of the money could be used to build toilets across the country and waste water treatment tanks in rural and urban areas to prevent sewage overflow. NDTV has come up with this wonderful initiative to make India a cleaner and better place to live in. Know more about it at http://swachhindia.ndtv.com/ and support for the cause. Let’s make India a better place to live in, for us and for our future generations too!

 

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This post is a part of the #SwachhIndia contest by Indiblogger.