NEW DELHI, June 1: The second wave of COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on the rural and semi-urban areas more, including Meghalaya and other Northeastern states, a study by the State Bank of India (SBI) says.
Group chief economic adviser, SBI, Soumya Kanti Ghosh, in the report, said that more rural districts have a cumulative fatality rate, higher than the country’s overall fatality rate, during the second wave.
Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Uttarakhand are clocking the maximum increase in fatality rate in rural areas during the second wave. But states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Punjab have witnessed a lower fatality rate in rural parts, the report said.
After drawing comparisons on COVID-19 fatalities, the study found that rural and semi-rural areas have been more affected in the second wave.
The SBI also expects a “disproportionately larger impact” on the economy from the second wave of COVID-19, especially since rural India is not as resilient as urban India.
“The pickup in pent-up demand is unlikely to make a large difference in FY22 GDP estimates, and hence it could only be a modest pickup,” the report said.
Warning that the intensity of the third wave of COVID-19 could be as severe as the second wave, going by international experience, the report said vaccination should be the key priority for India.
“With around 15-17 crore children in the 12-18 age bracket, India should go for an advanced procurement strategy like that adopted by developed nations to inoculate this age group,” it suggested.
