Income decreased compared to pre-pandemic period in India: Survey

Two-third of the people who participated in a survey by civil society organisations in 14 states reported that their income had decreased compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Majority of them witnessed a dip by over half, while 25% reported "severe" food insecurity.

One in every third respondent also told the survey that they or someone in their household had to "skip a meal or sleep without eating", the survey that sought to map the hunger situation in the country six months after the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic hit India.

Around 45% of them reported that they have outstanding debt and one in every five among them had a debt of over Rs 50,000, according to the Hunger Watch-II by the Right to Food Campaign, Centre for Equity Studies and a number of networks and organisations.

Close to 80% of the respondents reported some form of food insecurity in the month preceding the survey -- 31% mild food insecurity, 23% moderate and a "staggering" 25% reported severe food insecurity. The survey, with a sample size of 6,697 respondents in 14 states, was conducted in December 2021-January 2022.

The survey showed that around 60% worried about not having enough food, were unable to eat healthy or nutritious food or could eat only a few kinds of foods.

With dwindling incomes, more than one-third of the respondents felt that their food situation would "remain the same or get worse in the next three months''. Among the respondents, 67% could not afford cooking gas in the month preceding the survey.

When it comes to Covid-19 deaths, 3% reported that someone in the household died of the virus but only around 45% of them got any compensation.

According to the survey, 23% of the household incurred a major health expenditure and 13% among them had incurred a medical bill of more than Rs 50,000.

The pandemic also had an impact on children with the survey claiming that at least one in six households reported that their children have dropped out of the school. Additionally. at least one in 16 households reported that children have entered the workforce.

"These numbers are calculated from the full sample, some households of which might not have young children, and hence are likely to be conservative estimates of the impact on child education and labour," the survey said.

It said 84% have some kind of ration cards that give them subsidised grains while 2% had other cards such as temporary cards/coupons. Over 90% of those who had any ration card that is eligible for subsidised grains, said they received some food grains, including the free grains under PMGKAY during the last six months.

Pointing to the results, the survey highlighted the need for universalisation of the Public Distribution System (PDS) to provide subsidised rations to everyone who demands it besides demanding the expansion of PDS to provide millets and other nutritious commodities such as pulses and oils while procuring these at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Among other demands, it also sought the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till such time that the pandemic continues, with the provision of edible oils and pulses to each household.

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