Indian Railways develops washbasin that works without touching amid Coronavirus outbreak

As the Coronavirus can stay for a longer duration on any surface leading to the spread of the disease, the Indian railways have developed washbasins which are operated mechanically without requiring to touch it. The water and soap will be dispensed automatically without needing to touch the water tap or soap dispenser.

The East Central Railway (ECR) has said that the modified washbasin has been developed by the Barwadih Wagon Care Centre of the Dhanbad Division. An ECR official has said that the person using the washbasin will have to press the lever by foot and water and soap will be dispensed.

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The deadly Coronavirus that has brought the world to a standstill has been spreading fast in India as well. To contain the spread of the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting from March 24, as a result, the railway has suspended the passenger, mail and express trains from March 24 onwards and only freight trains have been allowed to run in order to ensure supply of essential items across the country. The Indian Railways is also making masks, sanitisers, aprons, medical beds, IV stands, stools, modified washbasins and other medical equipment at its production centres to ensure sufficient supply of these essentials to fight against the pandemic.

Coronavirus in India

India has witnessed a swell in Coronavirus cases as the number of infected individuals crossed the 1000 figure mark. As on March 29, the number of Covid-19 positive cases stands at 1024, of which 27 have succumbed to the virus while 95 have been recovered and discharged according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. While the figure seems large, it is much less as compared to other developed nations that have become the victims of the fast-spreading virus. Countries such as the US, Italy, Spain, France, Iran have witnessed death toll in thousands while India's death toll stands at 27.

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India has not only closed national borders such as India-Pakistan border and the borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar, but the state governments have also closed interstate borders too in order to arrest the spread of the virus. The international and domestic flights have also been suspended as a preventive measure to contain the virus.