When the going gets tough, the tough gets going’ the inspirational quote reverberates in mind when tough situation abruptly encircle you. The same happened with me when the sudden lockdown was announced in the nation due to coronavirus invasion. I was perplexed whether to stay in my cocoon or go to my relative house. Unaware of the situation I stayed back, decided to face the consequences and be responsible for my actions.

When the nationwide lockdown was announced there was a chaotic situation to stock up the essential needs before the shops closed. Have ordered my essentials and was waiting to be delivered. The sanitation process to be incorporated into our daily routine was now the new norm. Initially, it was difficult to get accustomed with the frequent handwashing but good habits eventually inculcate.

The lockdown for the initial days were laden with online classes for the whole day and the course completion along with exam duties of the University. The end of March 2020 and whole of April was hectic from the normal routine days. In the earlier days it was difficult to customise your biological clock to the new schedule where there are no schedule timings for meetings along with online lectures, course completion responsibility followed by online exams. All these made the life go haywire from normal routine.

Amidst this got the opportunity to mentor three-four teams of the innovative minds from our nation for the online forty-eight hours hackathon conducted by Ministry of Human Resource and Development along with the abled hands of Innovatiocuris. There were many scientific projects that came for expert review to be selected for BIRAC SITARE 2020 awards. Apart from these, my culinary skills improvised as I get to make different cuisines with limited resources available. The photos of dishes I made are displayed in end to show that I could do it, beyond my imagination. The do-ityourself mantra has also made me more responsible to figure out solutions from the resources available at hand one such example is the making of embroidery frame from packaged food boxes. The nature with every passing day was becoming more green and serene with life as due to nationwide lockdown the industries, roads and all the pollution contributors has halted their work.

During this lockdown period, a pending dream has carved its path in my life; I got the opportunity to write a book. The dream though was there but the motivation to go ahead was the one that Prof (Dr.) V.K Singh, my co-author for the book gave me. His vast experience (he has already written two books on Healthcare Innovations) and the consent to be under his tutelage instilled in me the hope to forge ahead with the book project entitled ‘Climate Change and Epidemiological Hotspots’. The book would be divided into two aspects: concern and sustainable approach. Understanding these aspects along with the other relevant issues help the readers for an insightful journey for the influences of the disease and provide an indispensable guidance to policymakers in designing preventive health measures that are viable for reducing the disease and the costs for the health-care system. With the lockdown days I resolved to open myself through my mind and innovative thoughts. The lockdown days gave the opportunity to make my dream as writer come true and to explore my innovative inner self which has lost its way amidst the daily routine.

The constant fear of death from virus has made me more resilient towards life and these days of my confinement gave me the time for introspection and conviction to raise the hopes when life is surrounded by barricades of unprecedented situations. The lockdown gave me the opportunity to introspect and understand the life in a whole new dimension. The constant siren from the ambulance in the vicinity of my dwelling made me think that the life of human is so delicate yet so precious. We are the creators of our surroundings and also the destroyer. The unseen, unknown novel virus taught a very meaningful lesson to the human that we are perishable as for Mother Nature we are just few atoms joined. We talk about God’s particle and in the era of 2020, we are in surge of shielding ourselves from an unforeseen yet dangerous virus. Amidst this pessimistic situation, rays of hope always help the mankind and regain its former self. The lockdown has made a positive impact in my life as I get to believe in the notion that the insignificant change in your habit will have a huge impact in your habitat.

1) Besan ladoo, 2) Pav Bhaji, 3) Mixed vegetable Appe, 4) Mixed veg pizza, 5) Aloo paratha 6) Idli sambhar and coconut chutney, 7) Vegetable Maggi, 8) Parwal ka mithai, 9) Gujarati pudla and bhaaji

Dr. Debleena Bhattacharya, Assistant Professor in Department of Environmental Science and Engineering in Marwadi Educational Foundation Group of Institutes (MEFGI), Gujarat, India. She is the associate editor for InnoHEALTH magazine. She holds a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad (India). Her research interest mainly focuses on two aspects they are environmental biotechnology and wastewater treatment implemented with advanced technology.