WATCH : Second COVID-19 wave had profound impact on rural India

The second wave of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had a profound impact on rural India, according to a recent State Bank of India (SBI) report.

The SBI Ecowrap report, released June 1, analysed the impact of the COVID-19 second wave in the country. The study divided districts in each state into four tiers depending upon their urban population.

The study showed that tier-3 and tier-4 witnessed a bigger increase in deaths during the second wave of COVID-19 compared to the first wave.

Rural districts had a higher cumulative fatality rate than the country’s overall fatality rate during the second wave.

The consumption of diesel, sales of two-wheeler, tractors and fertiliser and employment under Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act 2005, declined in April 2021.

However, the decline was less severe compared to that in April 2020; this indicates that gross domestic product loss in the second wave would be much less than that in the first wave.

The SBI report also said the third wave in India could be as intense as the second one. According to the report, vaccination should be the key priority for India, especially for children in 12-18 years age bracket.

The Union government is targeting up to 1 crore vaccinations a day by mid-July or early August.