There is certainly no doubt about the fact that health and hygiene are closely related to each other. Any person who is privileged enough to have clean surroundings around him can expect a healthier and longer life. However, it is quite unfortunate that not many people living in the rural or semi rural parts of India can boast of having a clean and hygienic environment. Partly due to a lack of efforts by the local government, and partly due to the ignorance of the local residents, the people living in the villages continue to suffer from various lifestyle problems and health-related concerns because of their inability to create a healthy and safe environment for themselves and those around them.

There are multiple reasons that contribute to this prevalent unhygienic situation. First and foremost, due to illiteracy and a lack of proper awareness, most people in the villages fail to understand the harmful effects of the garbage accumulated around them. People do not consider disposing of the waste in a strategic manner, and it naturally leads to a foul odour all around, in addition to aggravating respiratory concerns. It is a common sight in villages to see people suffering from hazardous diseases that wouldn’t be there in the first place had people been a little mindful about maintaining a clean and hygienic environment. Moreover, it is often observed that stagnant water is not properly discharged, and due to this, mosquitoes are prone to gather at one place. It is scientifically proven that certain mosquitoes and insects can be carriers of life-impeding diseases like Malaria, Chickengunya, Zika Virus and Dengue  amongst multiple others.

What is most unfortunate is that people are not only unaware of the importance of cleanliness around them, but they also do not maintain personal hygiene. More often than not, it is seen that women are not cognizant of taking care of their intimate hygiene during menstruation. In addition to discarding the used clothes in an inappropriate manner, they’re mostly not well educated about the importance of maintaining exclusive hygiene during that period. This inevitably leads to complications during pregnancy as well.

Geetanjali Cares, a non-profit organisation, has been endeavouring to combat the concern about hygiene in rural regions by educating the locals about the importance of keeping themselves and their surroundings clean. The team shall be conducting regular workshops and seminars, in addition to financially aiding the verified institutions that could further assist these people in availing themselves of the right kind of hygiene and health related services. Healthy villages in India could very well be the foundation of a healthy nation.