COVID-19

It was the first thing on her to-do list as restrictions eased with Lockdown 5. Manjula recharged her phone for Rs 400. “I may have to skip a meal for this” she laments as the expense eats into her non-existent savings. “But my Amma should be able to call now” is her hope as she waits for her employers to call her back to work.  Working as a domestic help has been more than a decade of Manjula’s life.  She turned up at homes everyday like clockwork, to clean them without a day off. She stayed behind to help when they…

According to a 2018 Ease of Mobility Index report from the Ola Institute, Chennai emerged on top when it came to public transport usage, with 75% of the population opting for public transport; buses being the most widely used.  The MTC bus system in Chennai has proven to be most popular due to high daily frequency, capacity, affordability and accessibility. The main patrons have been those who are in lower income groups such as daily wage labourers who often have to travel long distances to their place of work. In the foreseeable future however, the daily commute of Chennai residents…

The mathematical projections of MGR University indicate that there could be 1.5 lakh COVID-19 patients in Chennai by mid-July and the incidence of infection could peak in October. Going by the fact that the varsity’s projections on Chennai have been proven right so far, it is best to brace ourselves to deal with the crisis as it is quite likely to knock upon every one of our homes.  How does one stay prepared, though? Well, this is my own account, an observation of the crisis from close quarters, which might help in  understanding how the system works as it is…

Apartment RWAs have insisted on restrictions beyond government guidelines to deal with COVID, affecting residents and workers. Representational image: Ramesh Meda/(CC BY 2.0) "In general, I don't have a good relationship with my RWA, but COVID brought out their worst side," says Mukesh (name changed), a resident of Ozone Evergreen Apartments in Sarjapur Road. His apartment RWA is one of many in Bengaluru which have come up with their own rules during the pandemic. One of these rules was to restrict the entry of domestic workers into the premises. According to Mukesh, the RWA had promised to change this rule…

Translated by Sandhya Raju இரண்டே மாதத்தில், சென்னையில் கோவிட் தொற்று 24000 என்ற எண்ணிக்கையை தொட்டுள்ளது. பொருளாதார காரணங்களை கருத்தில் கொண்டு, சில பகுதிகளில் ஊரடங்கை அரசு தளர்த்தியது. பல பகுதிகளில் கடைகள், முடி திருத்த நிலையங்கள், உணவகங்கள் மீண்டும் தங்கள் வர்த்தகத்தை தொடங்கியுள்ளன. இன்னும் சில காலத்திற்கு தொற்றுடன் வாழ மக்கள் பழகிக்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்பதே நிதர்சன உண்மையாகியுள்ளது. கோவிட் பிறகான வாழ்க்கை முறையில், முக கவசம், அடிக்கடி கை கழுவுதல், தனி மனித விலகல் ஆகியவற்றை தொடர்ந்து கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டும். தற்போதுள்ள சூழலில், தொடந்து நம்மை பாதுகாத்து கொள்ள கீழே உள்ள சில நடைமுறைகளை கடைப்பிடித்தல் அவசியம்: கோவிட் தொற்று உள்ளவர்களுக்கு வீட்டு தனிமைப்படுத்தல் ஆலோசனை மாநில சுகாதாரத் துறையின் திருத்தப்பட்ட விதிமுறைகள் படி, தொற்று அறிகுறி அல்லாத அல்லது ஆரம்பகட்ட அறிகுறி உள்ளவர்கள், தங்களை வீட்டிலேயே தனிமைப்படுத்திக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். சென்னை மாநகராட்சி இவர்களுக்கான வழிக்காட்டியை…

The earlier articles in this series looked at the urban poor running out of cash and the stark reality of hunger during lockdown. In this part, we see the psychological effects of the lockdown on the poor. Parimala (name changed) can barely contain her tears. Between the sobbing, her words become less coherent. Clearly anxious, she checks the front door every now and then, lest her husband finds her speaking to someone. “It’s almost time for him to return from the liquor shop. Hopefully, if he is in a happy or a relaxed mood, my children and I don’t have…

There's much work done in society on a regular basis that remains unrecognised or even taken for granted, until one undertakes to do it in his own hand. That's something each of us has experienced over the last three months of the lockdown, as we have had to do all household work in the absence of our domestic workers. Having washed utensils at least thrice a day, swept floors every day, washed clothes and cleaned toilets, perhaps we will now be goaded into some serious thinking about what we can do for the people who silently perform these chores, almost…

In Part 1 of the Ground Reality series, we looked at how migrant workers who came to Bengaluru to be bread winners, fell back on their families to survive the lockdown. In Part 2, we see that hunger was a stark reality for many, all through the lockdown. Bengaluru eats moderately well. Well, at least it used to. According to a 2019 study on household food consumption practices by the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS), only 17% of households in the city were identified to be food insecure. This includes 13% that is severely food insecure. But overall, the survey,…

They left their villages so that their families would have one mouth less to feed. With their meagre incomes in the big city, they gave themselves the bare necessities: food, clothing and a roof above their head. The rest of their earnings went to their families in their distant towns and villages. It was no great life. But the cash -- however small -- came regularly. Their families back home could eat regularly; perhaps, a sibling could now go to college; may be, their mother could secretly save and pay off an old debt. They could not have asked for…

COVID-19 has led to another grave medical crisis in the city. Chennai, a national hub of healthcare, is now reeling under shortage of blood, leaving no option for critically-ill patients but to merely wait indefinitely for their turn. Most rare blood groups are unavailable in all the 19 government and private blood banks in Chennai, according to data from the national web portal e-raktkosh.  An analysis of the data shows that washed blood cells, plasma and Bombay blood group are unavailable in the 19 blood banks in Chennai. Another critical component, single donor platelets, is available only in one bank.…