Maha: Akola villages use WhatsApp to coordinate virus fight

Akola, May 8 () WhatsApp has become the maincommunication tool for a police station in Akola inMaharashtra in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak as alarge number of the 90 villages under its jurisdiction aretribal-dominated, and many are nestled in the Satpura mountainrange and difficult to reach.

A WhatsApp group comprising the sarpanch of villages,the police patil, gram sevak, important functionaries andhealth workers is now the driving force behind the efforts toensure COVID-19 does not spread to these hamlets, saidInspector Dnyanoba Phad of Akot Rural police station, some 50kilometres from the district headquarters.

"Every important message on the outbreak, state andCentral government announcements, pleas to adhere to socialdistancing and lockdown norms are being disseminated throughthis WhatsApp group," Phad told on Friday.

"It is having the desired impact as the recipients andsubsequently the villagers know the source of information isauthentic. All 90 villages, even those in the Satpura range,in our police station limits are connected to this group. Evencomplaints about lockdown violations are relayed on this groupby alert citizens quickly," he added.

Savra village police patil Shilpa Sapakal was allpraise for the group and said it kept even far-flung villagesin Akot connected to the authorities in these distressingtimes. CORBNM BNM