The Observer An IIJNM publication
Increased edible oil prices in the second wave of Covid-19 pose problems for shop owners | P 3
Vol 20, Issue 18
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Customers find it a convenient way to buy stuff By Nishita Agath
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With the advantage of social media, homemakers are earning well during the pandemic as resellers | Courtesy: Ashal Bhogesara income has increased by three- percent in the past year.” fold. This business has proved to Citing the importance of social be beneficial for homemakers as media, she added that selling they have the advantege to earn through social media groups and along with managing other promotions increased her busihousehold work,” she added. ness a lot. With an unabated Bhavika Odedra, a reseller who surge in Covid-19 cases, people owns Trendy Fashion Basket, prefer buying goods online rather said: “With this reselling busi- than visiting physical shops. ness, I can be considered an indeDealers find it convenient as pendent woman. Owing to the they can operate a business withpandemic, the demand for com- out making a big investment. modities has increased by 50-60 Rashmi Sehra, a dealer who
Bengalureans struggle to get cigarettes during lockdown ‘Cigs should be considered an essential item’ By Nidhi Kajaria Bengaluru: Smokers in Bengaluru are facing difficulties in getting cigarettes and other tobacco products to be delivered at their doorsteps amid the two weeks lockdown in Karnataka. “Shops aren’t open because of lockdown guidelines, making it difficult for us to buy cigarettes. Delivery apps like Dunzo and Swiggy which always came handy for ordering cigarettes and other products , have stopped delivering tobacco products,” Sidharth Garg, a resident of Indiranagar, informed The Observer. During earlier lockdowns, au-
Vendor selling cigarette secretly from his scooty |Courtesy: Nidhi thorities had made it clear that only essential items would be sold. “Sin products” such as cigarettes and liquor do not come under the permitted category. However, in the lockdown imposed from April 27 to May 12, the state government has allowed
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Staying in hospitals in Hyderabad proves to be miserable for patients with Covid-19 | P 6
Homemakers use social media to resell clothes, lifestyle items omemakers in Gujarat are increasingly getting involved in the reselling business of various product through social media platforms. Ashal Bhogesara, an apparel reseller who owns FabFashion, informed The Observer: “Amid the pandemic, when several people are losing their jobs, this business is offering employment to women. Also, due to the pandemic, I have experienced an upward trend in my business. Demand has increased by around 70 per cent in the past one year.” “People are slowly shifting towards these groups from e-commerce sites because of reasonable price, availability and quality. My
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home delivery of liquor apart from other essential items. “The government should either consider cigarettes part of essential goods. If not that, the delivery of cigarettes should also be allowed like liquor,” added Garg. The lockdown has affected the business of online platforms that deliver tobacco products. “We aren’t operational because the government is not allowing us to provide services, even though we are only involved in the delivery of tobacco items,” said Rajarshi Datta, owner of Ciggywala, an online platform for home and office cigarette delivery. The government gave permission to only essential goods shops to operate from 6 am to 10 am. However, several small pan shops are found selling cigarettes and other tobacco products during the time period and later in the day. Continued on page 6
sells to resellers through the Navras Fashion Hub, said: “For the past one year, the number of resellers is steadily increasing…. I have a team of 30 resellers. It is rising every day. A physical shop requires investment in the form of capital, workers’ salaries and rent. On the contrary, we can operate a business through social media just by investing time and we become our workers. Hence, it proves to be more profitable.” Customers find it safe as they can buy goods as it is less risky. Kinal Lila, a customer of Fab Fashion, shared: “I feel more satisfied while buying from online resellers. Apart from (getting) a wide variety of products in various sizes that I get to choose from, I can buy them without leaving my place. Also, unlike on e-commerce apps like Myntra and Ajio, here we can contact the seller directly. This helps me in making appropriate decisions about the material while buying.” Continued on page 4
News briefs RLD chief Ajit Singh succumbs to Covid Former union minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh passed away on Thursday due to Covid-19. Singh had contracted the virus on April 20 and had been in the ICU of a private Gurugram hospital. His son Jayant Singh broke the news of his demise on Twitter. Page 5
Union minister says car attacked in Midnapore V Muraleedharan, minister of state for external affairs & parliamentary affairs, has alleged that TMC workers attacked his convoy in Midnapore, WB, beating up his personal staff and breaking the windows of his car. The minister uploaded a video on Twitter of a group of men approaching and attacking his convoy.
Kerala to have 9-day lockdown from May 8 A 9-day lockdown will begin in Kerala on May 8 morning . Stringent lockdown-like controls are already in place.Kerala recorded the biggest single-day increase in positive cases.
FIR filed against Olympian Sushil after wrestler’s death By Ashutosh Acharya New Delhi: An FIR has been filed by police by against wrestler Sushil Kumar after his name came up in connection with a wrestler’s death in Delhi. According to the police, quoted by PTI, on the night of May 4, Sagar, a 23-year-old wrestler, was killed and two of his friends were injured after a brawl between them and other wrestlers who were also present inside Chhatrasal Stadium in north Delhi. Those named in the FIR include Sushil Kumar, a two-time Olympic medalist, Ajay, Prince, Sonu and Amit. Five cars were found parked at the scene of the incident by the police. Two double barrel loaded guns with seven live cartridges and two wooden sticks were found in the vehicles. Sidheswar Sahoo, a wrestling fan, said: “It is shocking to hear that an Olympian was involved in a brawl like this, but I can’t com-
pletely deny the fact. Many people were practising. Some among them quarrelled, a brawl broke out, and everyone took part in it. It is plausible that something like this must have happened.” The injured were taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, Jahangirpuri, where Sagar, a resident of Model Town, died. Prince Dalal of Jhajjar, Haryana, has been arrested in connection with the case with a double barrel gun. The cause of the brawl was a property dispute in the Model Town area in North Delhi. An official source, speaking with PTI, said the accused took the victims inside the stadium and assaulted them. Even though Sushil Kumar was present there, his role in the brawl has not yet been proved. The Observer tried to contact the Wrestling Federation of India, but got no response. from Sushil Kumar who has not been interrogated or arrested. ashutosh.a@iijnm.org
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The Observer Thursday, May 6, 2021
Info on oxy & beds, volunteers have it all They even supply food to patients in home isolation By Abhisek Dutta Bankura: A desire to help people amid the pandemic has helped a team of four to grow to a squad of more than 400. Subhankar Deb, a resident of Hind Motors in Hooghly district, his wife and two of his sisters thought of helping Covid-19 patients by providing accurate information about beds available in hospitals, oxygen and medicines. He created a WhatsApp group and posted a request on Facebook for help for the needy. “Within 36 hours of the post, the number of members exceeded the limit, and we had to create another group,” Deb said. The demand for medical aid was so high that they had to develop a website within two days. They divided the group into four teams – Live Bed, Oxygen, Ambulance and Medicines, and Blood and Plasma. However, they prioritised Live Bed. “Through the website, we have
Red Volunteers provide oxygen cylinder to an old woman suffering from Covid-19 at Liluah| Courtesy: Piyas Chakraborty been providing aid in six districts status with some relevant phone — Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, numbers and contacted her for an South 24 Parganas, North 24 ICU bed for his 38-year-old sister. Parganas and Nadia. The team “They just asked me to fill a has helped nearly 2,000 people form. After some time, they till now,” Deb added. arranged a bed in the ICU ward Ranit Ghosh, a resident of of GNRC Hospital at Barasat. Barasat in North 24 Parganas, She is now out of danger; her oxysaw one of his friend’s WhatsApp gen demand has reduced. Now I
share all those details on social media. I inform whoever reverts,” Ranit shared. Though everyone is home, anxiety over exposure to the virus is troubling people. Lack of clarity over availability of beds and oxygen has left family members of patients confused. Amid this, social media are playing a crucial role to communicate with people from different areas. Saheli Sarkar, a resident of Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas, said: “I have been sharing such posts on social media for the past couple of days.” To tackle the situation, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) created a group of young volunteers, called Red Volunteers, who are collecting information regarding availability of oxygen and beds, verifying it and helping Covid patients. They have created a Google drive that contains district- and zone-wise contacts of Red Volunteers across West Bengal. Piyas Chakraborty, a Red Volunteer at Liluah, Howrah district, said: “Other than informing people about beds and oxygen cylinders, we run a community kitchen. Every day we cook food for patients in home isolation. We have three bikes to deliver foods
Covid vaccine eludes 18+ in Bihar Reason: There is a shortage
By Nidhi Kajaria
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eople aged between 18 and 45 are struggling to get Covid vaccination in Bihar. Nitu Devi, a 43-year-old resident of Bettiah, informed The Observer: “Centres are denying vaccination to people below the age of 45 saying that there is an unavailability of vaccines. A worker from PHC Bairiya, one of the vaccination centres in Bettiah, said: “The system is not updated yet for the vaccination drive of people aged above 18. Plus, there is a lot of shortage of vaccines.” Implementation of the Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination began on May 1. According to a May 6 press release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the government of India has so far provided more than 17.15 crore vaccine doses to the states and Union territories free of cost. Registration for the new eligible population groups has commenced since April 28. Potential beneficiaries can either register directly on the CoWIN portal or through the Aarogya Setu app, the government said. Bihar has so far received 83 lakh doses, of which 4.95 per cent are reported to have been wasted. Even though the state has 53 lakh vaccine doses available with
to their doorsteps.” Nabanita Chakraborty, a member of the Students’ Federation of India central committee, said that no one is leading the Red Volunteers teams across the state; all the agencies are working as separate units. “At Serampore (in Hooghly district), we have some stock of oxygen cylinders and are in close contact with the suppliers. As soon as we get to know about anyone’s oxygen level going below 80, we deliver a cylinder there.” Rotaract Club of Calcutta has also joined hand to search and allocate medical aids to the needy families of Bengal. Soumodeep Mullick, president of the club informed The Observer, "A team of 20-25 volunteers are dedicated to serve the very purpose.” “We are collecting information from multiple sources and providing them to the needy ones after a proper verification." The second wave of the pandemic is seeing the new highs in daily cases, creating a pan-India crisis of oxygen and beds. The efforts of these volunteers are playing a crucial role in people getting proper treatment with help like providing oxygen cylinders. abhisek.d@iijnm.org
News Quiz 1. Greyhounds, known for antiinsurgency operations against Naxalites,is operated in which Indian state? 2. Who has been appointed as the Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)? 3. What is the name of the operation launched by the Indian Armed Force, to tackle Covid-19 pandemic? 4. World Tuna Day is observed on May 2 every year. Which SDG calls for sustainable use of Oceans and marine resources? 5. Which Indian insurance company has featured in the top 10 list of most valuable insurance brands globally as strongest insurance brands? 6. The World’s most powerful climate-change forecasting supercomputer is to be built in which country? Answers on Page 6
Words of the day Bihar has 5 lakh 34 thousand doses of vaccine available with it and 50 thosand doses in pipeline supply as stated by Serum Institute of India.| Courtesy: KPN it, and 50,000 doses in the pipeline, as per data available at 8 am on May 6, people above the age of 18 are being sent away from vaccination facilities. Chief minister Nitish Kumar said on April 21 that the Bihar government will run a free vaccination drive for people above 18 years of age. Nearly 5.47 crore people in this category were to be vaccinated free of cost at government hospitals. On April 30, the state gov-
ernment allotted ₹4,000 crore for vaccine to be given free of cost to all aged between 18 and 45 years this fiscal. According to an article published in Hindustan Times, a top health official on April 29 said the vaccination drive for people above 18 would not be able to start in Bihar from May 1 due to the lack of supply from the Serum Institute of India. Same report mentioned that 1 crore vials of vaccines demanded
by Bihar government was rejected by SIIand want monthly demands as SII also infromed central government its inability to meet demands of several states at this point of time. The government press release said more than 89 lakh vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs. More than 28 lakh vaccine doses will be received by the states/Union Territories in the next three days. nidhi.k@iijnm.org
Cajole- To pursuade someone to do something which he is unwilling to do. Epiphany- A manifestation of divine, superhuman being. Protege- A person guided by an older, experienced or influential person. Repertoire- Set of skills possesed by an individual required for particular task Sacrilege- Violation of something regarded as sacred Endow- To furnish with money for support Scourge- Source of persistent trouble
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Prices of cooking oils go up, sales dip Consumers fear that the surge will continue By Ashutosh Acharya Bengaluru: Shopkeepers and caterers are facing problems as the prices of edible oils have gone up during the second wave of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic “We don’t have work or money,” said Ajit S from Ajit Caterers, which provides catering service for social functions in the city. “Rising prices of edible oils have added to the crisis that we are facing for the past one year. The prices of edible oils and other raw material are skyrocketing, while the marriages and other functions are getting cancelled. There was some hope in the beginning of this year, but even that has gone away due to the second wave of the pandemic.” The surge in oil prices began a few months ago. According to an article in The Hans India, while earlier one could buy a litre of sunflower oil for Rs 100, it now costs between Rs 155 and Rs 165. The prices of other oils have also gone up by 60-70 per cent. Uday Kumar, who runs the wholesale provision store Marginless Market in Marathahalli, informed The Observer: “The prices of oil have doubled in the past two months. We are suffering losses as sales of these oils have gone
Being in a supply driven situation,when all the countries went into lockdown last year the import cost has gone up. People started stocking up oil, therefore with rising in demand of edible oil the price also soared high|Courtesy: The Daily Star down by 25 per cent. As prices DownToEarth magazine, India Brazil, whereas Ukraine and Arhave gone up, people have started imports oil mostly from Indone- gentina are the major suppliers of to control their use of oil to save sia, Brazil, Argentina and sunflower oil to India. money, and that’s why such a low Malaysia. Palm oil is imported Ashok Choudhary from amount sales. is taking place” from Indonesia and Malaysia, Mamtha separtmental store, According to an article in soya oil from Argentina and Kumbalgodu, said: “Even if prices
Chaos prevails at Mumbai municipal corpn’s drive-in vaccination facility Drivers pay high parking charges, wait gets longer By Nishita M. Agath Mumbai: Mumbai’s drive-in vaccination centre is witnessing chaos because of alleged mismanagement on part of the centre . Aagam Maniar, a citizen, said that Cooper Hospital’s post and a list provided by BMC said walkins would be vaccinated. But they were denied the second dose. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s drive-in facility is functioning at the Kohinoor parking lot near Shivaji Park in Dadar West for specially abled people, those above the age of 45 and senior citizens. of the area The concept of drive-in vaccination, which gave hope to citizens, seems to have resulted in more problems than those exist at regular vaccination centres. For senior citizens, standing in long queues for seven to eight hours is difficult. Poor management at vaccination centres has
Long hours of waiting is making the situation worse for the senior citizens and for their family members who have to pay heavy charges to the parking authority just for waiting in the parking lot| Courtesy: Midday.com added to their miseries. Citizens are facing similar problems at the drive-in vaccina-
tion facility there too. A citizen, Mayur G, informed The Observer: “The drive-in vaccina-
tion centre has been set up for senior citizens as they can’t queue up for longer hours. But due to lack of clarity about the registration process, they have to wait for hours. Neither walk-in registration is allowed nor am I allowed to register through the Co-Win website. I tried to register through the website several times, but it always shows booked or not slot available.” Also, he added, motorists have to pay Rs 60 an hour as parking charges. People who spend hours waiting for their turn have to pay a huge sum to park their vehicles. Their long wait at vaccination centres is resulting in traffic jams and added difficulties on them. Rahool Thote, who lives near the drive-in vaccination centre, tweeted that there is chaos in the area. People with cars have caused traffic jams for hours. To get vaccinated, they had to wait for 3-4 hours, leading to inconvenience to other residents and passerbys of that area. Several people say the facility is for the elite. The poor or those who do not own vehicles are excluded. nishita.a@iijnm.org
go up, people are bound to buy it. Many people have even started stocking up oil as they fear prices will surge further now.” The cost of a litre of refine oil ranges something between Rs 180-250, which was earlier Rs 120. Also, the cost of mustard and palm oil have doubled up to around Rs.190. Amith from Bangalore Catering services shared: “The catering business is not doing well for the past one year. We were getting very few orders lately; but with a lockdown in place, we are facing a lot of issues. The prices of raw materials and commercial gas have also shot up, adding to the increasing prices of edible oil. Customers want low price, but in this situation, it is impossible.” Shivaji Rao from Shivaji Oil Mills, New Tharagupet, said: “The import cost has gone up. Being a supply-driven situation, when all the countries went into lockdown last year, people started stocking up oil. As the demand for oil went up, the price also went up to an unaffordable rate.” The cost of edible oils on online supermarkets like BigBasket and Grofers ranges between Rs 170 and Rs 230 a litre. The price was half a few months ago. In 2020, oil-exporting countries couldn’t manufacture enough, contributing to the high prices and scarcity as well. With the second wave raging, and the scare of a second nationwide lockdown looming, oil prices could go higher. ashutosh.a@iijnm.org
Twitterati Talk @RahulGandhi Rs 13450 crores for Central Vista. Or, for fully vaccinating 45 crore Indians. Or, for 1 crore oxygen cylinders.. Or, to give 2 crore families NYAY of amount Rs 6000. But, PM’s ego is bigger then people’s lives
@DrSJaishankar
Geopolitical changes have been accelerated by Covid-related trends.Issues of transparency, reliability and resilience will guide policy choices. Open Societies and personal freedoms require careful nurturing. Must be on guard against fake news and digital manipulation. Vaccination is the only solution to the Covid Challenge.
@CMofKarnataka
In order to augment the supply of medical oxygen to our state, Union Govt has allocated 4 tankers of 20 MT capacity each to Karnataka.Of these, two containers have arrived at NMPT, Mangaluru today
@BorisJohnson
Fantastic to meet the Foreign Ministers today for the first in-person meeting of the G7. Together through cooperation and our collective will we can defeat this Covid pandemic, tackle climate change and foster economic prosperity for all our nations.
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The Observer Thursday, May 6, 2021
These ATM guards have to buy sanitizer with their own money Say that PSBs have not made any provisions
By Dhruv Raghav New Delhi: Security guards manning the ATMs of public sector banks in south Delhi’s Alaknanda Market are distressed as they are forced to buy sanitizers, masks and gloves for themselves. “My salary is just Rs 9,000. I have to send money to my family back in my village, and pay my rent and run a house here. On top of this, we also have to buy sanitizer for ourselves and the people who visit the ATM,” said Ramjeet Sahu, a security guard at the Punjab National Bank ATM, informed The Observer. “Almost 100 people visit this ATM daily. As there is no other PNB ATM nearby, most customers come here. Most people ask for sanitizer while coming in and/or going out, and you can’t say no to them. A one-litre sanitizer bottle lasts barely a week. I spend Rs 2,000-2,500 every month just on sanitizer. That’s almost one-fourth of my salary.” Guards of ATMs of private banks in the market do not have such complaints as the banks have given them sanitizer bottles. Shiva Kumar, a security guard at ICICI Bank, said the loan department’s keys were left with him at the start of the lockdown. He would get sanitizer and masks from there when required. “The loan department has huge
IPL was the only joy amid the pandemic
The BCCI could have brought in stricter protocols to ensure that the bio-bubble during the IPL 2021 was not breached, and nobody tested positive for the virus. Lakhs of people watched streamed matches online, and many more saw them on their television sets. Their only source of joy in the middle of a national calamity has been taken away. Harshit Sachdeva
More incinerators are needed to save wood With the Covid-related deaths rising in UP, crematoriums need more incinerators to reduce the burden on wood. Setting up more such machines will not only be eco-friendly and help the environment but also save a lot of time. Tarab Zaidi
Helpline launched for cows, none for humans
Several state governments have mandated public and private banks, to provide hand sanitizers, surface disinfectants and masks to security guards. | Credit: Dhruv Raghav bottles of sanitizer and several masks kept in reserve for us. Whenever I run out of sanitizer, or if a mask tears, I go there to refill and replace immediately.” Raju Pal, a security guard at the State Bank of India ATM, has started selling newspapers on the side to earn an extra buck. “We have not been getting any assistance since the start of the lockdown. No gloves, no masks or sanitizer. I have to buy everything for myself to protect myself. Reading the news and hearing ambulance sirens... this second
wave is terrifying.” Bupati Suvedi, an office boy at SBI, Kalkaji, said: “We don’t have a role to play here. Everything is managed by the company we have a contract with. If they do not provide sanitizer, we can’t do anything to change that.” Several state governments and municipal corporations have mandated public and private banks, and security contractors, to provide hand sanitizers, surface disinfectants and masks to protect security guards. Recently, the Rajasthan gov-
Rise in reselling on social media affects the business of shopkeepers Continued from page 1
ernment and the Salem municipal corporation published guidelines to protect manned ATM guards and control the spread of virus. Those found flouting the Covid-19 regulations have been asked to close the kiosks. Security guards who work in public banks in the national capital New Delhi are demanding that a similar rule be imposed so that they can protect themselves from the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic without burning a hole in their pockets. dhruv.r@iijnm.org
I
Customers find it a safe as they can buy goods without the risk of getting infected. With the number of resellers rising, shopkeepers complain that few customers visit their shops They are suffering loses as high as 40% since the beginning of the pandemic. | Credit: Nishita Agath
The UP government has announced a helpline number for cow protection when people in the state are dying due to a lack of medical facilities. As mentioned by the Chief Engineer of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, most Covid-related deaths in the city happened due to a lack of hospital facilities. Tarab Zaidi
Vaccination registrations are proving to be useless While India has taken a step further and begun registrations for the age group of 18-45 to get vaccinated against Covid-19, it seems to be a futile move. The online portal is proving to be untrustworthy and poorly designed. Aayushi Parekh
Three small units get CMERI tech By Mahitha Owk
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ruti Virani, another customer, said: “The only issue I faced while buying clothes through this medium is size. While purchasing branded products, we can rely upon the size mentioned..” With the number of resellers rising, shopkeepers complain that few customers visit their shops. Kuvar R, who sells apparel, said: “My business is on the verge of liquidation. Online resellers seem to be our competitors who… have gained all our customers.” Since the beginning of 2020, his income declined by 40 per cent. Now the fall is 90 per cent, Kuvar shared with The Observer. According Zinnov, a research firm, around 2 million homemakers resell several lifestyle products using social media platforms. They earn $8 billion-$9 billion in sales. The figure is set to increase to $48-$69 billion by 2022. nishita.a@iijnm.org
Citizen’s Voice
n the wake of Covid-19, the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) has transferred its Oxygen Concentrator Technology and High Flow Rate Iron Removal Plant Technology to three micro, small and medium enterprises through a virtual meeting. Dr Harish Hirani, director of CMERI, said at the meeting: “The main motto of CSIR-CMERI is to help everyone, to bring innovation to the common people for which we require cooperation from MSMEs who have capabilities of low-cost manufacturing.” Calibrations Pvt. Ltd, Kota, Rajasthan, and SA CORP, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, have received the Oxygen Concentrator Technology. The High Flow Rate Iron Removal Plant Technology was transferred to Maa Durga Sales Agency, Guwahati. The companies thanked
CMERI for providing the required technology. Omkar Bansal of Maa Durga Sales Agency said: “Presently, the company is working for installation of the 700 water purification system of smaller units with a capacity of 1,000 litres per hour. The company has a plan to install High Flow Rate (6,000 to 12,000 LPH) Iron Removal filter technology of CSIR-CMERI in different districts of Assam as a part of projects received from the Government, respective panchayats, and also to be a part of Jal Jeevan Mission which has been launched by the Government of India.” Central Mechanical Engineering Reasearch Institute aims to work on a war footing that will be able to minimize the impact of Covid-19 through advanced technological intervention. A part of this technological intervention is the transfer of technologies to micro and small industries. mahitha.o@iijnm.org
COVID IMPACT 5 With local trains stopped, PEOPLE CONTINUE TO CROWD IN B’LURU MARKETS AMID LOCKDOWN Kolkata’s buses are packed
The Observer Thursday, May 6, 2021
With the suspension of the local train, a negative RT-PCR report is mandatory to enter the state by train | Credit: Rittik Biswas By Abhisek Dutta
Despite a Covid-19 lockdown in place, people continue to travel around without masks and gather in crowds without social distancing in Ilyas Nagar, Kumaraswamy Layout. The Observer found no barricades, police patrol, or BBMP marshals managing the crowd. The Karnataka government had announced a two-week lockdown on April 26 that will be enforced
till May 12. Initially, essential services were allowed to function from 6 am to 10 am. Later, the government modified its lockdown order allowing Hopcoms outlets, milk booths, and fruit and vegetable pushcarts to function from 6 am to 6 pm. This modification has led to a constant vehicle and people movement in the city. | Padmini Dhruvaraj and Puran Choudhary
Bankura: The West Bengal government’s decision to restrict the movement of local trains has caused overcrowding on buses in Kolkata. The buses are supposed to run with 50 per cent capacity. Sanatan Panda, a bus conductor, said: “It is very risky for us, but we can do nothing. There was a heavy rush during office time in the morning.” Soon after being sworn into office a third time, Mamata Banerjee announced stricter restrictions to tame the Covid-19 surge. She declared suspension of all local trains and allowed metro and private transports to run with 50 per cent capacity since Wednesday. Major bus stops see thick crowds in the morning. Subrata Mondol, an office-goer from Barrackpore, said: “It took me two and half hours today instead of 45 minutes to reach my office at Salt Lake. I did not dare
to catch overcrowded buses, so I had to leave a number of them.” Bishal Srivastava, who works for an insurance company, travels by train every day from Chakdaha in Nadia district to different places. “I did not go out today to gauge the situation. I have no option left but to take a bus,” he said. However, many people do not want to risk their life by boarding overcrowded buses. Most people who have the option to not go to their workplaces are not stepping out of their homes. Sukumar Sen, a sales executive who visits shops across Kolkata, has decided not to go to work until the local train service is restored. “What to do other than sitting at home quietly?” he said. Apart from suspension of the local trains, Banerjee also announced that from now on a negative RT-PCR test report is mandatory to enter the state by train. abhisek.d@iijnm.org
Ex-minister Ajit Singh loses battle against Covid Demise likely to impact politics of western UP By Dhruv Raghav New Delhi: Veteran farmer leader and former Union mini ster Ajit Singh passed away this morning due to Covid-19 complications in a private hospital in Gurugram. His son Jayant Singh said in a tweet that his father, who tested positive on April 20 and was on ventilator support in the ICU of a private hospital in Gurugram, “...breathed his last today morning, the 6th of May, 2021.” “Throughout his life journey, Chaudhary Sahib was loved and respected by many. He, in return, cherished this bond with all of you and has his best consideration and efforts for your welfare,” the tweet said. Jayant Singh appealed to people to stay home and abide by the Covid-19 protocol issued by the government. “This would be the best way to honour Chaudhary
During the ongoing farmers protest,Ajit Singh had extended his support to the Bharatiya Kisan Union | Courtesy: Jayant Singh Sahib as well as all those COVID warriors who are working night and day to protect us.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted he was saddened by the death of Ajit Singh.
During the ongoing farmers’ protest, Ajit Singh had extended his support to Rakesh and Naresh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. His demise is likely to stir up western Uttar Pradesh’s politics. The state is going to assembly polls next year. Ajeet Singh, a journalist who has been closely looking at the politics in the state, said: “In the party he represented, RLD, he was the only big face. His son, who has been a member of Parliament, has lost elections two times. So it will be difficult for the party to get a replacement. This might weaken its position.” “Ch. Ajit Singh was one of the loudest yet most humble voices in the farmers’ agitation. His support to the Tikait brothers and the local-level support that RLD gathered can also be affected due to this. All of these factors combined leaves questions looming over the party’s standing in the upcoming polls. If Jayant will be able to fill father’s shoes remains a question.” Ajit Singh was the son of Charan Singh, India’s sixth Prime Minister. His father, a
major farmer leader, and had left his legacy to his son. Ajit held important positions in the Union government. He was first elected to the Upper House of the Parliament in 1986 and led the Janata Dal coalition as its General Secretary under V.P. Singh in 1989. The Janata Dal got a massive support from UP as Ajit Singh pulled in Jat and the farmer votes. In the V.P. Singh cabinet, he was appointed Minister of Industry. After being re-elected to the Lok Sabha, he served as the Minister of Food in the Narasimha Rao cabinet. In 1996, Ajit Singh founded the Rashtriya Lok Dal. He continued contesting elections from his father’s constituency, Baghpat. He was the longest serving MP from the constituency, winning six times. In the Vajpayee ministry, he was given the agriculture portfolio. Later, he joined hands with the Indian Congress and served as Minister of Civil Aviation in the United Progressive Alliance government till 2014. dhruv.r@iijnm.org
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The Observer Thursday, May 6, 2021
Covid-19 patients in Hyderabad find service in private hospitals poor By Mahitha Owk Hyderabad: Covid-19 patients say staying in hospitals in the twin cities is a nightmare. Although doctors and other staff are doing their best, many patients are very disappointed with their efforts. “I wish I had suffered and died at home rather than got admitted to hospital,” said P. Devi, a recovered patient. After develo ping symptoms of Covid-19, she got herself tested and the result turned out positive. As her health started deterior ating, she got herself admitted to a well-known hospital in the city. It gave her poor service, she informed The Observer. Long queues and hours of waiting have become common in hospitals. With cases increasing every day, the demand for hospital beds has shot up. Satya Sulochana, who took her maid to a hospital as she was showing severe Covid-19 symptoms, said she had to wait for six hours to get her tested. She had to request hospital staff multiple
Owing to the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases and overworked doctors and nurses, private hospitals are unable to provide satisfactory service to patients | Courtesy: KPN times to test her maid. “She was already sick. Waiting for so long in the hospital only worsened her condition,” Sulochana added. Patients are scrambling for beds, oxygen cylinders, ventilators and basic medicines. People who earlier preferred visited private hospitals now say there is not much difference between them and government facilities. “I thought I never would say
Android users unable to order cigs from Dunzo Continued from page 1
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alram Kumar, owner of a small pan shop in Indiranagar, said: “I sell cigarettes around 12 o’clock in the day when the police are not around. I can’t afford to not earn.” Because of the fear of being caught, small tea shop owners sell from the back door or from behind closed shutters. Raju, who runs a tea stall in Indiranagar, said he has no option but to sell cigarettes secretly to at least his regular customers. “I have to sell secretly to make ends meet. I pretend my shop is closed but I sell tea and cigarettes from the back side.” Tobacco products are now being sold in the black. “I have been paying double the price for one box of cigarettes. I don’t have any other option,” said Ritik Varma, a smoker who resides in New Thippasandra. Ahmad, owner of Royal Selection, a shop that deals in toba cco products in Koramangala, shared: “Our shop has been closed since the lockdown started. The business had just come on track. Now, due to the second wave, it’s back to the square one with recurring losses.” Users of Dunzo say there are
this, but service in private hospitals is not any better than government hospitals,” Devi said. Sulochana said: “We didn’t want to go to a government hospital as I thought the service won’t be any good, but it’s the same with private hospitals now, so why waste so much money.” These patients also complain that their mental health is affected by staying in the hospitals
with no proper service. Abhishek Bhaskaran, who was infected, said: “I regret going to a hospital. Like many others, I should have stayed home and opted for online consultation.” Devi concurred: “The doctor used to come and check twice, and the nurse used to just come to drop food and medicines, that’s it. Apart from that, no care or anything.” She did not even get a chance to
Statewise Covid-19 stats
convey her problem to the doctor. However, she said, she doesn’t want to blame the doctors as they have to treat many patients. The pandemic has put a heavy burden on the country’s healthcare system. The demand for medical professionals is high. A rapid rise in the number of patients is creating a difficult situation for doctors. Dr B.R. Lavanya, who treats Covid patients, said: “I work day and night, risking both my and my family’s lives, to help these patients. My husban is also helping, he is also a doctor.” Doctors say they are doing their best, but as the number of patients is increasing, it is becoming difficult for them to satisfy everyone. Dr Raju Kumar, another doctor, said: “I don’t just deal with Covid patients but also patients with other illnesses. I try to do my best. However, it is not possible to talk to individual patients for hours as I have so many pati ents to deal with.” Experts warn the situation will get worse as the number of positive cases in the country has crossed four lakh per day. The increasing number of cases is not only burdening the common public but also doctors and other medical staff. mahitha.o@iijnm.org
Quiz Answers 1. Andhra Pradesh 2. Justice P.C Pant 3. CO-JEET 4. SDG 14 5. LIC 6. UK
Docs say they’re overworked, but doing their best
Across the City
Smokers using Android phones are unable to order from Dunzo | Credit: Nidhi Kajariya technical glitches on the mobile app of the delivery platform. According to several smokers, options for the delivery of tobacco products are available on iPhones but not on Android handsets. “I ordered a pack of cigar ettes from Dunzo on an iOS device and it got delivered on time,”said Manan Sharma, a resident of Sarjapur. But Sakshi Agrawal, a softw are developer at Google, said Dunzo’s application might not be updated for Android devices. Hence, users are unable to order on Android mobiles. nidhi.k@iijnm.org
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Team Observer Editor: Abhishek Saini Copy Editors: Abhishek S., Queeneerich K., Upasana B., Padmini D., Nishant K. Page Editors: Abhishek S., Padmini D., Nishant K., Queeneerich K., Upasana B., Photo Editor: Padmini D. Reporters: Nishita Agath., Mahitha Owk., Abhisek Dutta., Dhruv Raghav., Ashutosh A., Nidhi Kajaria.