While we Indians were struggling with chaotic disputes like CAA-NRC protests, Internet shutdowns, loss of public property, etc., a new tragedy named Corona entered India and now is swiftly spreading all over the country. Situations are becoming worse, and no medical remedy for this deadly virus is found yet. It is gulping down several lives speedily all over the world, and its outcomes are devastating too.
In the Indian context, Corona is, and Corona will lead to several ill-effects and consequences.
The disasters and effect that coronavirus can have in India are:
1. Economic Crisis
The economy is one of the saddest elements in current India. COVID-19 is taking us towards a disastrous fall in the economy of the country and has slowed it down. Both global and domestic agencies agree to the point that COVID-19 will be an economic disaster for India. Although its magnitude will be lesser than that of other countries yet, it will be problematic for a developing country like ours.
According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CIS), the GDP can fall below 5% in the financial year 2021, if some policy action is not taken quickly. The growth rate of GDP is expected to fall by around 5%, which is the lowest in the past 10 years from now. There’s a subsequent downfall in the stock market due to the changed consumer behaviour and disrupted businesses. Crude oil prices are crashing globally and will affect the petroleum exports of the country severely.
In simpler words, the economy is for sure being hurt because of Corona Virus.
Constant expenditures are done on rising cases of Corona patients, increased police forces, medical forces, test kits etc. which is becoming a part of the unplanned yearly expenditure and leading towards a situation of fiscal deficit. Demand-supply chains have tumbled upside down in many cases, and it will surely take some time to recover these losses.
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2. Health Crisis
Corona has entered as a bane to the health sector where everything is disturbed in creating medical supplies and isolation wards quickly. Medicine supplies are facing shortages because many production units have stopped their functioning. Due to some uncivilized and nincompoop mindsets, medical essentials are also being hoarded. Masks and sanitizers have got a massive hike in their prices to mark a profit in such a crucial time too. Due to Corona’s widespread it is receiving enough attention by the government and administration but beneath that, other dangerous diseases and disorders are being also neglected. Except for fever clinics, for an extended period, other departments in the hospitals and clinics were shut and are closed even today. Due to this, many patients are facing problems in the availability of doctors and medical support. Ambulances have been made overactive, and the best is being tried to fight against COVID-19. Doctors and medical staff are on overtime and are suffering too, but all that is left in everyone’s fist are hopes to fight over this pandemic.
3. Mass Mobilisation
A considerable number of people are displaced from their place of residence to their place of origin. The fear Corona has made a high number of masses panic and leave the places they are in, to move back to their home towns. Since all public transports have been halted, no one can move back to their hometowns. So, people have opted walking the distance to their places. A huge number of workforce is displaced from here, and there is such a situation where gatherings and groupings are strictly not suggested. Without food and water security, hundreds of labourers and daily wage workers left their workplace and began walking the distance to their homes on foot. This has not only made them suffer from the lack of food and water but also has made them more vulnerable to this Virus.
4. Food Scarcity
Food scarcity is a more significant issue since the Corona has hit us and lockdown has trapped all of us in our homes.
All primary food and grocery stores are either shut or are short of essentials. Goods are hoarded, and daily essentials are constantly facing stock exhaustion.
The common man is facing problems due to the lack of vegetables, grains, fruits and other essential things for survival. Food items on online grocery stores are out of stock almost every time you try to shop online. Deliveries are not possible as frequent as they usually used to be because of a lack of workers. There is a huge shortage of food because the markets and production units are inactive due to COVID-19 lockdown. People are quarantined so, supply chains are disturbed, and numbers of people sleeping hungry have increased.
COVID-19 has brought such a significant impact on food security of India that despite enough efforts to make food available to all, it isn’t possible to fill all the hungry tummies.
5. The Collapse of the Education sector
The education sector is also drastically affected due to Coronavirus. Since the best solution to prevent the hike in COVID-19 cases was a complete lockdown in the nation so, all the educational institutions like Schools, Colleges, Coaching centres, Universities are shut. From here, a huge loss of studies is being faced. CBSE Board examinations had to stop amidst their schedule, yearly entrance exams like NEET, CLAT, JEE MAINS and JEE ADVANCED are postponed. Competitive and annual examinations of various schools, colleges and universities are postponed and have no visible expected dates till now. As a result of the unexpected hurdle, academic years will be delayed, and the institutions will face humongous trouble in the course completion.
The education sector of India earns a reasonable sum of income, which is also currently stopped due to coronavirus and quarantining.
6. Effect on the Transportation and aviation sector
Transport and aviation play a significant role in the mobilisation of humans, goods and services. Since, the Novel Corona Virus is trapping the world currently, not just India but the whole world is facing a collapse of transportation and aviation sector. Coronavirus entered India from abroad and to avoid any more cases from abroad, and everyone is suggested to stay wherever they are. To promote Quarantining and Lockdown transportation, Railways and Airways have stopped their usual functioning. Airlines have stopped all International take-offs, and the entire aviation sector has stopped further functioning to avoid the spread of this deadly pandemic.
Railways have stopped all major passenger trains to avoid any social contacts and travellings. All of this is done to prevent the further spreading of this virus and to prevent any more cases of Corona patients. This is for sure, affecting people’s mobility and movements but is the only option left until a successful solution for this is out. Although a vast amount of revenue is generated usually from the sectors too, saving lives is far more critical than gathering money and uplifting economy.
All these ill-effects of Coronavirus are bad for sure but, if the virus swallows all the lives, the situation can become worst. Lockdown and quarantining is the only solution left for the time being. For sure economy is being affected, education sector, food security, commerce and much more are being affected due to this but currently, saving lives is far more critical than these materialistic things because if there is no survival, none of these mundane things will be of any use. Since human resource is an essential resource, we need to fight against COVID-19 and save it. For this, we request all of you to stay home, stay safe and take all necessary precautions to ensure your living.
