Keeping ourselves and our surroundings clean to stay healthy
A clean environment helps us stay healthy. Garbage left on streets attracts flies, rats and mosquitoes that spread diseases such as malaria, dengue, cholera and typhoid. Stagnant water in pots, tyres and coolers is where mosquitoes breed, so it should be emptied regularly. Using clean toilets and keeping drains covered are part of good sanitation, and open defecation spreads germs into water and soil.
Waste should be separated at home. Wet waste, such as fruit peels and leftover food, goes in the green bin and can be turned into compost. Dry waste, such as paper, plastic and glass, goes in the blue bin and can often be recycled. Reducing, reusing and recycling cut down the amount of waste we make. Personal hygiene means bathing daily, washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet, trimming nails, brushing teeth and covering the mouth while coughing or sneezing. Vaccines protect us from many serious diseases.
Why it matters
Simple habits like handwashing and waste segregation prevent illness for whole families and neighbourhoods. Clean surroundings reduce mosquito-borne diseases during the monsoon. Campaigns such as Swachh Bharat show how communities can work together for cleanliness. These ideas connect to health, disease and the environment in higher classes.
Key terms
- Sanitation
- Keeping places clean and safely disposing of human waste and garbage.
- Waste segregation
- Sorting waste into wet and dry types so it can be composted or recycled.
- Compost
- Manure made from rotting wet waste such as vegetable peels and leaves.
- Personal hygiene
- Habits like bathing and handwashing that keep our body clean and free from germs.