Coronavirus: Milkman in India gets creative with 'invention' to maintain social distance
A picture of the milkman using a funnel and pipe to sell milk has gone viral
A photo of a milkman in India who introduced a creative technique to deliver milk while practising social distancing from his customers has left social media users impressed.
From playing games across balconies to rickshaw drivers splitting their passenger areas, numerous stories of people carrying out daily tasks while maintaining social distancing in creative ways have emerged, and this milkman's 'invention' has become another example.
The photo of the creative milkman was shared on Twitter by an Indian Administrative Service officer, Awanish Sharan, @AwanishSharan, among others.
He wrote: “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
The viral picture shows the milkman using a funnel and pipe to pour milk into a customer's pan to properly maintain social distance from the customer. In the picture, he is also seen sporting gloves and a facemask under his helmet.
Judging from the license plate on the motorcycle, Indian media outlets have concluded that the undated photo was taken in Madhya Pradesh.
Netizens appreciated the worker’s creativity and effort to keep himself and others safe.
Twitter user @nitinsangwan applauded him for his idea and told people to learn from him: “Good to see that some people go extra mile to keep themselves and others safe. Let's do basic minimum things of staying at home, wearing mask and keeping social distance even if we cannot go an extra mile like this innovative milkman.”
Tweep @ISMAILBASHASM1 thought that the pandemic has sparked Indians’ creativity: “Innovation is on peak.”
According to the World Health Organization, social distancing involves maintaining a distance of three to six feet from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, to curb the spread of COVID-19. "When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease," the organisation's website state.