IMPRI Team
In continuation with the ongoing discussions on the Rural Realities around the country, the Centre for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies (CHURS), IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi and Orissa Economics Association, Odisha organized a Panel Discussion on “Rural Realities | Odisha Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave in Indian Villages” on May 15, 2021, as the second wave of coronavirus pandemic is engulfing the length and breadth of our country, India, and hitting the heartland of our country which is the rural areas.
Current Livelihood Scenario
Mr Pratap Chandra Panda, Thematic Manager, Gram Vikas, Bhubaneswar
An assessment was done by Gram Vikas recently which covered 15000 households in 246 villages. It was found that around 7% of households showed positive symptoms of COVID-19. What’s more astonishing is that less than 10% of the households got vaccinated! Another assessment with regards to the impact of the pandemic in terms of food, livelihood and health, was done, which covered 13000 households.
Around 74% of households were found to have an increased vulnerability to Covid which is relatively higher than the previous year. Moreover, around 10% of the households did not even have an MGNERGA card. Nearly 39% of families have no work done under the schemes for the last two months. Around 12% of the households depend on migrant workers for their day-to-day survival. This shows not only the vulnerability of the health system because of less manpower but also the reluctance to get vaccinated because of the attached stigma.
