New Delhi, May 8

About 85 per cent of low-income households in Ahmedabad have reported that they are not earning regular incomes anymore (most have lost or will lose their entire income) during the Covid-19 lockdown, a survey by Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Ahmedabad revealed.

The report titled, ‘IIMA Covid Reach Out Survey’ mentioned that most households have lost their monthly incomes (in the range of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 for a large section) and expressed anxiety about their ability to pay rent, school fees, electricity bills, etc.

According to the survey around 54 per cent respondents said that the number of meals their families were consuming per day have reduced since the lockdown and 60 per cent of respondents said that their current food supply would last them less than a week’s supply of food.

The survey was conducted from conversations with around 130 households in Ahmedabad between April 23 to May 2, 2020. Those who participated in the survey were plumbers, rickshaw pullers, vegetable sellers, daily wage workers etc.

It further mentioned that only 64 per cent of surveyed households said they had collected the ration for the month, even though over 85 per cent claimed to have a ration card for the place they were currently residing.

Closed ration shops in the vicinity, low supply of grains, or overcrowding in the rations were some of the reasons that they were unable to access ration.

The report recommended that for migrant workers, small community kitchens managed and run by them can be organised, with rations and raw material provided by the government.

It also suggested that milk should be provided to young children belonging to vulnerable families.

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