No food, income: 85% daily wagers in Ahmedabad hit by lockdown

At least 85 per cent of daily wagers in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city have lost their regular income during the COVID-19 lockdown, a survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad revealed.

The nationwide lockdown, which has been in place since March to contain the spread of coronavirus, has rendered several unskilled labourers and daily wagers jobless.

The IIM-A conducted the survey among 500 households in the city that earned less than 19,500 per month, the release here stated.

“At least 85 per cent households were not earning regular incomes anymore and most have lost or will lose their entire income (in the lockdown),” the survey data revealed.

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According to the study, most households have lost their monthly incomes (in the range of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 for a large section). About 54 per cent of the 500 families said they had to cut down from three meals to two meals a day, while 60 per cent revealed that they did not have enough food rations to survive the lockdown.

The survey was carried out between March 24 and April 9, among families of bus, autorickshaw drivers, daily wagers, plumbers and vegetable vendors, who largely depend on their daily earnings.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from IIM-A, headed by professor Ankur Sarin, the release stated.