New Delhi: Dia Mirza, besides being a talented Actor and Producer, is one of the most vocal environment activist from India. For all her humanitarian efforts, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres appointed her as one of the Advocates of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The SDG’s were prepared in 2015 with an aim to achieve the goals by 2030.
On the occasion of Independence Day, Ms Mirza had an exclusive chat with NDTV, where she discussed her one year as an SDG advocate, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the SDG and the key to living a sustainable lifestyle.
What is the biggest lesson that we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the linkages between health, hygiene, sanitation and climate change?
I think the answer lies within the question itself. The biggest lesson that this pandemic has, hopefully, taught us all is that health and well-being is directly connected to the environment. Scientists have been warning us of such pandemic for over two years and policymakers had not paid any heed to it. I hope with all my heart that those who continue to disrupt this balance causing destruction and devastation OF our natural world will understand that ecology is completely connected to the economy. We cannot hope to achieve any of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals or the kind of future each one of us hope for, if we don’t fix this broken relationship with nature.
The lockdown has had a different impact on different people, what have been some of the biggest health issues that have come to light because of the lockdown?
Lockdown has made many issues very glaring. Things that we quickly recognised, because of the people I work with and interact with or the information I have access to, is to realise how so little has been done to make our healthcare system more robust. The fact that everybody could be vulnerable in society – from senior citizens to youth, from loss of jobs to home and income. It has also made the inequalities very stark and helped us recognise how much more we need to do to create a more balanced, more caring and compassionate society. While all of this is a very dark and a stark picture, what really strengthens me and inspires me is that there has also been an equal number of people striving to make a difference remotely and its just been extraordinary to see the citizen partnership in mobilising efforts to make a positive change.
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3) What has been your biggest learning from the pandemic?
Every single day, I felt an extreme amount of gratitude for the privilege of being able for stay home and not have to worry about so many things that millions of people were so stressed and worried about. Also, what really highlighted to me was the virtue of simplicity. The value of keeping life really simple. How it’s the really simple things that we take for granted and they matter so much. Physical interaction with people we love and care for like hugs. Just taking our freedom for granted, our mobility for granted. I realised how much freedom we had on a daily basis. The freedom to go where we want, meet who we want.
What are some of the significant achievements or areas where India has done well, when it comes to health, hygiene and sanitation?
I feel, while we made some important commitments, we haven’t really been able to implement them. I do see a big shift in citizen consciousness and awareness, so big credit to individuals and the power of individuals who are responding to the advocacy work. I see a big shift in people making better choices in their lifestyle in terms of what they are eating, what they are drinking and refusing single use plastic, leading a zero-waste lifestyle, becoming more and more involved in environment and social advocacy work. Especially during the pandemic, people are using their online network and reaching out to cultivate partnership, make a difference and help people. There’s a lot of good work that has happened, people have stepped up to aid and assist healthcare workers, raise awareness and create outreach for mental health issues, domestic violence, gender justice, among others. So there has been work but we have a lot more to be done because unfortunately due to the density of our population, the vastness and magnitude of some of our problems will take consistent work over a longer period of time to actually see through many things that will help us achieve the goals. There are more and more companies that are adopting green solutions, more and more companies that are set up to build back more sustainability.
Last year you were appointed as the official Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate. How was the experience for you and what did you learn?
It’s an extraordinary opportunity because I get to build a partnership with and collaborate with some of the most. Wonderful people on the planet. Working at the headquarters, working with the Secretary-General, being engaged with everything drives solutions. The Sustainable Development Goals have taken a huge setback because of the COVID-19 pandemic and it just makes what we have to do that much more urgent. The fact that we need to continue to reach out and inform more and more people for the merit of SDG, educate people on what they are and include more and more people into adopting the SDG. Whether it is industries, or companies or individuals, whatever it may be. I feel very lucky to be able to create this kind of engagement, to have access to the kind of information that really sets perspective for me. Because it can be really overwhelming especially because we are living in a developing economy, where so much affects us so deeply on a daily basis. It is very empowering to be a part of the solution.
Has it been hard for you to make the transition to a sustainable way of life?
Sustainable lifestyle is about forming new habits, bringing that consciousness and awareness into the choices we make. So, many things are easy – it was very easy for me to switch from regular sanitary napkins to bio-degradable sanitary napkins, it was easy to switch from regular plastic toothbrushes to bamboo toothbrushes, or bamboo earbuds. It is very easy to carry a foldable cloth bag in my handbag whenever I’m out so that if I’m shopping, I’m able to bring back whatever I have purchased in my own carry bag. Somethings are a bit of a challenge but with time, efforts and persistence, they fall into place. Setting up an effective waste management system in the co-op I live in took a little time but now it’s an official system. The pandemic has caused a bit of setback but we continue to engage and do what we can. It’s really as difficult as you make it and as simple as you choose to make it. Whatever can be controlled by personal choice is obviously easy but whatever is connected to more people and their contribution can be a little challenging but you just learn to be patient and not beat yourself up if others don’t follow through. Just keep trying.
If you were entrusted with the job of devising a roadmap for a healthy India, then what are the Top 5 things that you would like to see done and why?
Climate action is paramount. We have to include climate action into all aspects of governance. Second is education, we have to work harder on improving our education system, including environmental studies into our education system and really spending more on education. I think it is a very underserved sector in India and we need to do much more. The third is health, it is again a very underfunded and a very under-equipped aspect of the country and I think this pandemic has made that glaringly evident. We need to do much more to improve our health institution, health outreach and empower those who work in that sector. These three things according to me are most crucial, followed by urban development being inclusive of ecology. We also need to find ways to fulfil the commitments made in the Paris agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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State & District Details
State | Cases | Active | Recovered | Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|
DistrictCases Mumbai45,478 Thane13,660 Pune9,920 Mumbai Suburban5,363 Aurangabad1,974 Nashik1,575 Raigad1,462 Palghar1,421 Solapur1,291 Jalgaon1,039 Akola757 Nagpur692 Kolhapur646 Satara629 Ratnagiri350 Amravati291 Dhule228 Hingoli208 Jalna201 Ahmednagar190 Nanded176 Yavatmal150 Sangli145 Latur139 Osmanabad125 Sindhudurg114 Buldhana88 Parbhani78 gondia69 Beed54 Nandurbar42 Gadchiroli42 Bhandara41 Chandrapur32 Washim13 Wardha11 | 19,87,678 2,910 | 53,163 181 | 18,84,127 3,039 | 50,388 52 |
DistrictCases Udupi1,176 Kalaburagi669 Yadgir538 Bengaluru Urban529 Raichur369 Mandya346 Belagavi337 Bidar219 Hassan205 Davangere204 Vijayapura201 Dakshina Kannada179 Chikkaballapura149 Mysuru107 Bagalkote103 Uttara Kannada95 Shivamogga67 Dharwad61 Ballari60 Gadag45 Bengaluru Rural40 Tumakuru36 Kolar29 Haveri24 Chikkamagaluru19 Chitradurga14 Koppal5 Kodagu4 Ramanagara3 Chamarajanagara0 | 9,31,252 584 | 8,713 96 | 9,10,377 676 | 12,162 4 |
DistrictCases Kurnool795 Krishna557 Guntur511 Anantapur428 East Godavari356 Chittoor319 Sri Potti Sriramulu Nell*296 Y.S.R.205 West Godavari199 Srikakulam183 Prakasam104 Visakhapatnam103 Vizianagaram23 | 8,85,824 114 | 1,987 212 | 8,76,698 326 | 7,139 |
DistrictCases Kannur357 Kasaragod333 Palakkad224 Malappuram119 Kollam118 Thrissur106 Thiruvananthapuram104 Pathanamthitta98 Kozhikode90 Alappuzha76 Kottayam73 Ernakulam60 Idukki40 Wayanad36 | 8,42,843 5,960 | 68,633 922 | 7,70,768 5,011 | 3,442 27 |
DistrictCases Chennai23,324 Chengalpattu1,314 Thiruvallur774 Villupuram509 Kanchipuram503 Tiruvannamalai496 Cuddalore477 Ariyalur444 Tirunelveli433 Tuticorin333 Kallakurichi324 Madurai322 Salem258 Coimbatore188 Virudhunagar185 Dindigul175 Perambalur133 Ranipet133 Thanjavur130 Theni129 Tiruchirappalli119 Ramanathapuram119 Tiruppur116 Kanniyakumari110 Tenkasi103 Nagapattinam99 Karur88 Namakkal83 Erode75 Vellore71 Thiruvarur67 Pudukkottai53 Sivaganga46 Tirupathur45 Krishnagiri43 The Nilgiris17 Dharmapuri15 | 8,30,183 610 | 6,128 171 | 8,11,798 775 | 12,257 6 |
DistrictCases North West5,463 Central4,817 West4,768 New Delhi3,405 North3,059 East2,472 South East2,446 South West2,391 South2,329 North East1,914 Shahdara1,580 | 6,32,183 299 | 2,691 104 | 6,18,754 397 | 10,738 6 |
DistrictCases Gautam Buddha Nagar1,119 Agra933 Ghaziabad794 Meerut504 Lucknow386 Saharanpur298 Kanpur Nagar286 Moradabad252 Varanasi243 Hapur225 Aligarh215 Basti214 Amethi206 Rampur203 Jaunpur194 Firozabad190 Barabanki168 Gorakhpur166 Bulandshahr166 Siddharth Nagar159 Ghazipur159 Bijnor157 Deoria143 Azamgarh138 Sant Kabeer Nagar132 Mathura129 Ayodhya120 Muzaffarnagar117 Sambhal116 Sultanpur97 Ambedkar Nagar92 Maharajganj85 Amroha80 Rae Bareli78 Bahraich73 Kheri72 Kannauj69 Baghpat68 Kushi Nagar67 Bhadohi60 Ballia60 Gonda59 Etah52 Hardoi49 Balrampur49 Mau48 Mainpuri46 Etawah46 Hathras43 Unnao42 Jalaun41 Jhansi41 Shamli40 Chandauli38 Auraiya37 Farrukhabad36 Sitapur32 Prayagraj30 Banda27 Shahjahanpur25 Shravasti23 Budaun23 Mirzapur22 Bareilly17 Kasganj16 Pratapgarh15 Pilibhit15 Sonbhadra10 Kaushambi6 Kanpur Dehat4 Chitrakoot4 Lalitpur3 Hamirpur3 Mahoba3 Fatehpur3 | 5,96,137 523 | 9,162 419 | 5,78,405 930 | 8,570 12 |
DistrictCases Kolkata2,777 Howrah1,435 24 Paraganas North1,031 Hooghly604 24 Paraganas South281 Maldah235 Dinajpur Uttar216 Coochbehar210 Birbhum206 Medinipur West159 Medinipur East153 Nadia139 Purba Bardhaman130 Murshidabad125 Bankura116 Darjeeling97 Jalpaiguri88 Paschim Bardhaman70 Purulia66 Dinajpur Dakshin50 Alipurduar39 Kalimpong18 Jhargram9 | 5,64,707 609 | 7,151 72 | 5,47,515 666 | 10,041 15 |
DistrictCases Ganjam581 Jajapur322 Khordha238 Baleshwar190 Kendrapara164 Cuttack155 Bhadrak137 Balangir129 Puri103 Sundargarh102 Jagatsinghapur91 Nayagarh86 Mayurbhanj73 Nuapada69 Gajapati61 Dhenkanal36 Boudh34 Kendujhar34 Deogarh33 Kalahandi33 Sonepur29 Kandhamal28 Anugul26 Malkangiri20 Bargarh16 Koraput16 Sambalpur16 Jharsuguda8 Nabarangpur2 Rayagada2 | 3,33,127 178 | 1,910 53 | 3,29,318 230 | 1,899 1 |
DistrictCases Jaipur2,177 Jodhpur1,748 Udaipur724 Bharatpur563 Kota503 Nagaur500 Ajmer379 Dungarpur374 Pali352 Jhalawar329 Bhilwara250 Sikar231 Chittorgarh188 Tonk171 Jalore164 Rajsamand140 Sirohi130 Bikaner112 Banswara91 Alwar90 Churu81 Jhunjhunu64 Dausa61 Dholpur60 Baran59 Jaisalmer53 Barmer34 Hanumangarh31 SawaiMadhopur26 Karauli17 Pratapgarh14 Ganganagar8 Bundi5 | 3,14,920 238 | 5,286 322 | 3,06,888 558 | 2,746 2 |
DistrictCases Bilaspur100 Korba100 Mungeli87 Baloda Bazar85 Jashpur77 Janjgir-Champa56 Mahasamund54 Rajnandgaon52 Kabirdham52 Raigarh47 Raipur46 Balod41 Korea39 Durg31 Bemetara21 Kanker19 Balrampur17 Surguja14 Gariyaband10 Surajpur9 Dhamtari6 Bijapur2 Bastar2 Dantewada0 Kondagaon0 Narayanpur0 Sukma0 | 2,93,178 566 | 6,867 56 | 2,82,760 615 | 3,551 7 |
DistrictCases Hyderabad2,475 Ranga Reddy183 Suryapet87 Jagitial77 Nizamabad76 MedchalMalkajgiri75 Mancherial43 YadadriBhuvanagiri40 Jogulamba Gadwal40 Vikarabad40 Nalgonda33 Warangal Urban32 Mahabubnagar30 Sangareddy26 Khammam26 Adilabad22 Nirmal21 Karimnagar17 RajannaSircilla16 Medak11 Kamareddy11 Mahabubabad10 Jayashankar Bhupalapally9 Nagarkurnool8 Kumuram Bheem Asifabad8 Jangoan8 Siddipet7 Peddapalli5 Bhadradri Kothagudem5 Warangal Rural4 Mulugu3 Narayanpet3 Wanaparthy1 | 2,91,666 299 | 4,191 82 | 2,85,898 379 | 1,577 2 |
DistrictCases Gurugram2,950 Faridabad867 Sonipat404 Rohtak145 Palwal120 Jhajjar114 Karnal104 Hisar98 Ambala93 Panipat78 Nuh68 Bhiwani60 Rewari56 Kurukshetra55 Sirsa50 Kaithal48 Mahendragarh47 CharkiDadri43 Panchkula39 Fatehabad38 Jind38 Yamunanagar19 | 2,66,131 167 | 2,129 55 | 2,61,019 218 | 2,983 4 |
DistrictCases Patna279 Bhagalpur266 Rohtas256 Khagaria253 Begusarai243 Madhubani199 Munger188 Jehanabad178 Katihar175 Darbhanga143 Samastipur139 Siwan139 PurbiChamparan138 Purnia135 Banka134 Buxar134 Nalanda123 Gopalganj123 Nawada122 Sheikhpura118 Gaya115 Kaimur (bhabua)105 Bhojpur103 Saran101 Muzaffarpur96 Saharsa88 Supaul87 Vaishali87 Madhepura82 Kishanganj75 Aurangabad75 Sitamarhi73 Lakhisarai72 Araria68 Pashchim Champaran57 Arwal52 Jamui47 Sheohar20 | 2,57,474 281 | 4,046 66 | 2,51,975 343 | 1,453 4 |
DistrictCases Ahmadabad17,125 Surat2,311 Vadodara1,555 Gandhinagar410 Mahesana159 Banas Kantha147 Bhavnagar146 Rajkot135 Arvalli134 Mahisagar125 Anand107 PanchMahals107 Patan105 SabarKantha101 Kachchh99 Kheda98 Jamnagar63 Bharuch56 Botad55 Surendranagar55 Valsad47 GirSomnath45 Dohad43 Chhotaudepur37 Naysari35 Junagadh31 Narmada25 DevbhumiDwarka22 Amreli16 Porbandar11 Tapi6 Dang5 Morbi4 | 2,55,354 505 | 6,588 262 | 2,44,403 764 | 4,363 3 |
DistrictCases Indore3,839 Bhopal1,880 Ujjain799 Burhanpur351 Neemuch319 Jabalpur276 East Nimar266 Sagar228 Gwalior211 Khargone196 Dewas140 Dhar132 Mandsaur112 Morena109 Bhind87 Raisen71 Barwani60 Ratlam51 Rewa39 Shajapur39 Hoshangabad37 Vidisha37 Chhatarpur35 Betul35 Rajgarh31 Dindori29 Sheopur26 Damoh26 Satna24 Anuppur22 Panna20 Tikamgarh18 Sidhi17 Narsinghpur17 Chhindwara16 Agar Malwa15 Mandla15 Shivpuri15 Jhabua14 Shandol14 Singrauli13 Ashoknagar13 Datia12 Sehore12 Umaria10 Balaghat9 Guna8 Harda4 Alirajpur3 Katni3 Seoni2 Niwari0 | 2,51,223 365 | 6,524 433 | 2,40,948 793 | 3,751 5 |
DistrictCases Kamrup Metro276 Golaghat203 Nagaon143 Hojai89 Dima Hasao86 Karimganj85 Tinsukia84 Cachar80 Dibrugarh61 Hailakandi57 Lakhimpur57 Marigaon50 Dhemaji47 Kamrup42 Kokrajhar37 Dhubri30 Charaideo29 Barpeta28 Udalguri28 Sonitpur27 Jorhat24 Nalbari23 Darrang20 Sivasagar20 Goalpara19 Biswanath16 Baksa14 KarbiAnglong13 Bongaigaon12 Chirang6 West KarbiAnglong5 South SalmaraMancachar4 Majuli2 | 2,16,809 32 | 2,930 33 | 2,12,809 61 | 1,070 4 |
DistrictCases Amritsar485 Jalandhar297 Ludhiana293 Tarn Taran163 Gurdaspur154 Hoshiarpur140 S.A.S Nagar137 Patiala132 Sangrur107 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)99 Pathankot86 Rupnagar (Ropar)74 Faridkot74 Sri Muktsar Sahib71 Moga65 Bathinda60 Fatehgarh Sahib57 Fazilka53 Firozepur50 Kapurthala44 Mansa31 Barnala25 | 1,70,366 175 | 2,578 161 | 1,62,289 322 | 5,499 14 |
DistrictCases Anantnag395 Srinagar300 Kulgam295 Baramulla271 Shopian255 Kupwara231 Bandipora175 Udhampur155 Ramban151 Jammu138 Budgam110 Pulwama108 Kathua53 Rajouri39 Ganderbal37 Poonch35 Doda27 Reasi26 Samba25 Kishtwar10 Mirpur0 Muzaffarabad0 | 1,23,217 109 | 1,280 148 | 1,20,016 256 | 1,921 1 |
DistrictCases East Singhbum170 Ranchi148 Hazaribagh110 Garhwa80 Ramgarh75 Koderma58 Simdega48 Dhanbad32 Gumla28 Palamu27 West Singhbhum21 SaraikelaKharsawan20 Giridih19 Bokaro16 Latehar14 Khunti10 Lohardaga8 Deoghar5 Dumka5 Pakur4 Jamtara2 Godda2 Chatra1 Sahebganj0 | 1,17,599 119 | 1,249 40 | 1,15,300 158 | 1,050 1 |
DistrictCases Dehradun370 Nainital323 Tehri Garhwal110 Haridwar94 Udam Singh Nagar83 Almora71 Champawat45 Pithoragarh43 Chamoli36 PauriGarhwal36 Bageshwar31 Rudraprayag30 Uttar Kashi24 | 94,691 226 | 2,349 57 | 90,736 279 | 1,606 4 |
DistrictCases Hamirpur117 Kangra105 Una41 Solan32 Chamba29 Bilaspur21 Mandi21 Sirmaur11 Shimla10 Kullu4 Kinnaur2 Lahaul And Spiti0 | 56,873 71 | 755 12 | 55,154 82 | 964 1 |
DistrictCases South Goa69 North Goa57 | 52,345 83 | 877 11 | 50,712 69 | 756 3 |
DistrictCases Pondicherry111 Mahe4 Karaikal2 Yanam0 | 38,611 16 | 286 8 | 37,683 22 | 642 2 |
DistrictCases Dhalai196 Sepahijala174 Gomati74 South Tripura53 Unakoti49 West Tripura45 Khowai24 North Tripura14 | 33,331 2 | 38 3 | 32,902 5 | 391 |
DistrictCases Churachandpur32 Kangpokpi26 Imphal West21 Thoubal18 Imphal East10 Tengnoupal9 Bishnupur7 Senapati6 Chandel5 Kamjong5 Ukhrul4 Jiribam3 Pherzawl3 Kakching2 Tamenglong2 Noney1 | 28,835 24 | 380 56 | 28,089 79 | 366 1 |
DistrictCases Chandigarh313 | 20,503 39 | 238 28 | 19,935 67 | 330 |
DistrictCases Changlang31 Papum Pare8 Lohit3 Namsai2 West Siang1 East Siang1 Upper Siang1 Tawang1 PakkeKessang1 West Kameng0 Upper Subansiri0 Tirap0 Siang0 Shi Yomi0 Anjaw0 Lower Subansiri0 Lower Dibang Valley0 Longding0 Leparada0 KurungKumey0 KraDaadi0 Kamle0 East Kameng0 Dibang Valley0 Lower Siang0 | 16,808 6 | 62 2 | 16,690 8 | 56 |
DistrictCases East Khasi Hills22 West Garo Hills5 South West Garo Hills4 North Garo Hills1 West Jaintia Hills1 West Khasi Hills1 East Garo Hills0 East Jaintia Hills0 Ribhoi0 South Garo Hills0 South West Khasi Hills0 | 13,693 2 | 148 13 | 13,401 15 | 144 |
DistrictCases Dimapur20 Mon8 Kohima7 Kiphire3 Tuensang3 Peren2 Phek1 Longleng0 Mokokchung0 Wokha0 Zunheboto0 | 12,054 15 | 117 13 | 11,849 2 | 88 |
DistrictCases Kargil77 LehLadakh43 | 9,649 1 | 93 11 | 9,428 12 | 128 |
DistrictCases East District3 South District3 North District0 West District0 | 6,029 5 | 158 5 | 5,741 10 | 130 |
DistrictCases South Andamans33 Nicobars1 North And Middle Andaman1 | 4,982 3 | 25 3 | 4,895 | 62 |
DistrictCases Kolasib11 Aizawl10 Mamit8 Lawngtlai2 Lunglei2 Saitual1 Champhai0 Hnahthial0 Khawzawl0 Saiha0 Serchhip0 | 4,322 8 | 85 5 | 4,228 3 | 9 |
DistrictCases Dadra And Nagar Haveli20 | 3,388 | 9 0 | 3,377 | 2 |
DistrictCases Lakshadweep District0 | 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0 |