Though strict adherence to covid appropriate behaviour (CAB) and the ongoing vaccination drive has reduced the current strain of the covid pandemic but both people and the government have not to show any laxity in taking all necessary precautions till the entire country is declared covid free. The covid appropriate behaviour (CAB) by all standards of understandabilities is as good a precautionary measure for farmers at the paddy fields and orchardists in the apple orchards as it is for the people in markets and other public places. Though farmers follow covid appropriate behaviour even during activities in paddy fields and apple orchards but violations of covid appropriate behaviour are also noticed at both the paddy fields and as well as apple orchards at some places. In fact covid appropriate behaviour is as important at the paddy field and apple orchards as it is for the people visiting markets and other crowded places. Unfortunately even the officials and officers too show laxity in implementing the covid appropriate behaviour at paddy fields and apple orchards. Knowing that covid appropriate behaviour is as important as is the ongoing vaccination drive given the fact vaccination does not give a license to people to show laxity in maintaining covid appropriate behaviour at public places including paddy fields and apple orchards. Unfortunately officials and officers show laxity both in the vaccination drive and as well as implementation of covid appropriate behaviour at places which remain away from media attractions and public attention. Though vaccination drive has now reached villages but agriculture department has not announced any exclusive vaccination drive for farmers and orchardists the way tourism department is carrying special vaccination drive for the stakeholders of tourism sector including houseboat owners and hoteliers.
A top cop asking farmers to use double masks at the paddy fields would have surely sent out a strong message on adherence to covid appropriate behaviour at public places. Better it would have been if the top cop would have also distributed masks among the farmers at the paddy fields in Sopore before joining them in planting paddy saplings. Finally not the words but action speak about our responses to both the ongoing vaccination drive and as well as covid appropriate behaviour (CAB).
Keeping in view the fact that healthy safety has to be preferred over livelihoods to reduce the current strain of pandemic, the announcement of vaccination drive for the farmers and orchardists from the Agriculture and Horticulture departments is overdue now. By all standards of understandabilities the focus has to be on both the covid appropriate behaviour (CAB) and as well as the vaccination of farmers working in the paddy fields and the apple orchards in Kashmir. Though very recently Deputy Inspector General of police of North Kashmir Range joined farmers in their farming activity at paddy fields in Sopore area of Baramulla district to show that police department too is interested to establish strong bonds of human relationship with the local populations particularly the farming community but what the top cop missed at the paddy fields was counseling of the farmers on covid appropriate behaviour (CAB). The top cop could have asked the farmers to use double masks at the paddy fields in Sopore area before joining them in planting the paddy saplings. A top cop asking farmers to use double masks at the paddy fields would have surely sent out a strong message on adherence to covid appropriate behaviour at public places. Better it would have been if the top cop would have also distributed masks among the farmers at the paddy fields in Sopore before joining them in planting paddy saplings. Finally not the words but action speak about our responses to both the ongoing vaccination drive and as well as covid appropriate behaviour (CAB).
