A CRITICAL WEAPON

In the midst of the unprecedented spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), social distancing and personal hygiene seems to be the only weapon available to the general public against it. Accordingly, hygiene campaigns have gathers global attention, with its campaigns proliferating across all mediums. With this, the issues of water scarcity and sanitation in the Indian subcontinent, South-east Asian countries, South America and Africa, has immerged as a major issue. Since, this crisis had

led us to rethink our capability to tackle an outbreak in terms of our medical efficiency, public distribution system and economic safe guards, access to water and safe sanitation needs to be considered accordingly as it is the only arms against Covid-19 in the under developed countries.

Today, contaminated water and poor sanitation are the major risk factors on one hand, and containment and recovery strategies on the other to tackle the spread of various deadly diseases. This seems to be the right time to engage globally to make universal access to safe water and sanitation a possibility. Governments across the world need to join hands along with various NGOS to thrive towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all with concomitant, smarter and eco-friendly waste and wastewater treatment.

This should be complemented through beneficiation of waste and wastewater to produce fertilisers, high-value chemicals,

lipids and proteins. These actions will prove transformative — economically, socially and environmentally. In order achieve this immense feat. We have to increase our efforts to convert the vast repository of scientific and technological knowledge to tangible products and services for immediate use. We will also need new economic models to sustain large scale implementation and maintaining them. And finally need to contract partnerships between various scientific institution, governments and private firms both locally and internationally. Such demanding times call for strong actions and this pandemic has provided us with the opportunity to look forward towards achieving the SDG of sustainable water and sanitation for all.