Use of community taps calls for hand hygiene, say experts

VISAKHAPATNAM: Public health professionals have called for awareness on threats posed by the use of

community

taps in the absence of hand hygiene.

Health professionals insist the civic body should communicate to citizens to not touch a tap unless they have washed their hands with soap and to maintain social distancing while waiting in a queue to collect

water

from a community tap or tankers sent by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).

The civic body sends tankers to areas that lack a distribution network. Public health experts said the GVMC could ask its personnel to pour water from tankers into containers brought by people.

“The municipal corporation has to communicate the message to people on how to collect water. In many localities, especially in slums, people queue up to collect water from a community tap. The authorities have to clearly educate them about the need to touch the tap only with clean hands,” said Dr KV Srinivas, epidemiologist at a private hospital.

A GVMC official said they have asked the helper and driver of tankers to operate the taps. “The driver and helper are operating the taps Besides, in some places, people are leaving their containers and standing apart. Our personnel are using hose pipes and filling the containers,” said Ramana, supervisor, GVMC.