How Indian households are coping under COVID-19 lockdown

New Delhi, May 13: The nationwide lockdown has devastating effect on Indian households who are facing significant economic hardship. Experts have revealed that more than one-third of Indian households may run out of resources in another week and face distress without assistance after that.

The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) in its study based on the impact of lockdown on Indian household income released on Tuesday, May 12, stated that 84 per cent household has suffered a decrease in monthly income and that more than one-fourth of the country's working-age population is unemployed.

"Across India, 34 per cent of all households report being able to survive for no more than one week without additional assistance," Economic Times quoted the CMIE chief economist Kaushik Krishnan as saying.

It also highlighted the urgent need to support households at the lower end of the income spectrum.

"These figures suggest that the rapid distribution of in-kind or cash transfers is needed to prevent a sharp increase in malnutrition and severe deprivation," the study said.

While 65 per cent of urban households reporting enough provisions for a week, only 54 per cent of rural households have enough provisions.

Reportedly, states like Delhi, Punjab and Karnataka were least affected, states like Bihar, Haryana and Jharkhand were among the worst affected.

The survey considered factors like per capita income before the lockdown, the effectiveness of aid, delivery and lockdown severity rather than the extent of outbreak affects the declining income.