Coronavirus: Manipur University’s chemistry department makes 500 bottles of hand sanitiser for its community

Since the beginning of the year, we all have become well acquainted with the novel coronavirus which has entered our lives. As of Monday, about 499 positive coronavirus cases have been reported in India, along with 10 deaths, according to Woldometer. 

Ever since the first few cases of coronavirus were reported in India, there has been a very apparent rise in the demand for alcohol-based hand sanitisers and face masks. And it has become difficult to lay hands on such commodities. With scarcity, there have also been instances of fake hand sanitizers having been produced, and then seized by officials.

Amid this, the chemistry department of Manipur University, Imphal, decided to meet the demand of its varsity community and made and distributed 500 bottles of ethyl alcohol-based sanitizers.

"Initially, we made 200 bottles of hand sanitizers, weighing 200 ml each. Ethyl alcohol (80 to 90 percent), hydrogen peroxide, glycerol, and distilled water were used to make the sanitizer in the laboratory,” Okhlam Mukherjee, Head of the Department said, as per India Today.

On March 19, during the first phase of the distribution of these sanitizers, 200 empty plastic bottles were acquired from a local company to aid the department in the production. 

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Moreover, an additional 300 bottles were made on March 21 and were distributed to the community when they approached the university. Mukherjee added that the department’s research scholars are passionate and that it has the resources to make more sanitizers. 

“We are in a position to make another 1,000 bottles. Our product does not have any side-effects," Mukherjee told The Outlook. 

Further, a few bottles were even sent to the employees of the All India Radio station as their employees had requested sanitisers.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon Indians to observe a voluntary curfew on Sunday, deeming it a ‘Janata Curfew’ from 7 am to 9 pm, to help reduce the spread of the virus. 

To date, the state of Maharashtra has reported the highest number of reported cases in India at 60 cases and one casualty. Further, Kerala has reported 45 positive cases, making it the state with the second-highest number of cases in India. 

Other states with reported positive cases are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat. 

(Edited by Suman Singh)

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