The second wave had hit India harder than the first, creating the worst scenario in the world, with unprecedented virus spread and mortality rate. The government, health workers, hospitals and the general public are unable to cope up with this onslaught from the deadly virus.

The surge in Covid cases in the second wave had caught the country off guard. The first wave led us to believe that we were better off than the rest of the world. However, with about 400,000 daily cases and 4,000 daily deaths, India has broken all global records. The healthcare infrastructure was stretched to its limit, people were dying in hospitals and many more were dying due to the lack of access to one. The crematoria were unable to handle the quantum of dead, resulting in open cremations.

During the past few weeks, hospitals have been helpless with dwindling oxygen supplies and physicians watching hopelessly as patients perish from preventable deaths.  Overloaded crematoria were working round-the-clock to keep up with the pace of the arriving dead; furnaces breaking down from overuse and extra funeral platforms built outside. The messages were heart breaking and the images haunting.

India broke the world record for the most new coronavirus cases with the total number of cases in the country exceeding 29 million with more than 375,000 people having lost their lives.  How did we get here so quickly?

Rapidly spreading, more dangerous variants of Covid-19 could be the reason behind the surge.

The UK strain was found in 50 per cent samples sent for genome sequencing from Delhi in March.

Government data suggests that the spread of the UK variant is now declining in proportion and the current surge over the last one-and-a-half months in some States shows a correlation with the B1.617 variant of Covid.

The World Health Organization's chief scientist has said, "A COVID-19 variant spreading in India is more contagious and may be dodging vaccine protections, contributing to the country's explosive outbreak. B 1.617 is likely to be a variant of concern because it has some mutations which increase transmission, and which also potentially could make it resistant to antibodies that are generated by vaccination or by natural infection."

On the other hand some virologists feel optimistic and say that just as there was a sudden and exponential increase in the infections, there will be an equally sudden drop by the end of June 21.

At this testing time, many countries have come to India’s help, just as India helped many countries with the vaccines earlier. Over 40 countries have committed to provide us with items that we need urgently. The U.S., France, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Bahrain, Qatar, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Russia Bangladesh, UAE, and Bhutan are some among them. India received over 550 oxygen generating plants, more than 4,000 oxygen concentrators, 10,000 oxygen cylinders and 17 cryogenic oxygen tankers, medicines, raw materials for vaccine production etc. over the next few days.

We were under complete lock down from 10^th May to 14^th June 2021.  People could go out to buy essentials for a brief period every day. People suffering from unrelated health issues also found it difficult to meet a doctor or visit a hospital.

Industrial activity had come to a standstill and so had the economy. The only exceptions were essential goods manufacturers and medical supply companies and hospitals.

We were exempted to operate our Liquid and Solid Waste Management facility in Jigani Bengaluru where we dispose of hazardous wastes. We had earlier been requested by the Regulatory Authority to take up Covid wastes in case the existing bio-medical waste facilities were unable to handle the quantum.

Even though the lockdown has been partially lifted as on 14^th June 2021, we still need to strictly follow safety requirements, viz.

• Maintaining social distance
• Wearing masks
• Sanitising the work place
• Checking body temperature and blood oxygen levels at home and the workplace
• Constantly washing hands with soap and water
• Not going to crowded places like malls
• Not organising or attending functions, celebrations, etc.

Hope is what drives us forward.