Photos: How India fared under the world’s strictest lockdown
Updated On Jun 24, 2020 03:27 PM IST
The preferred first step to control Covid-19 by most countries has been a lockdown. On March 25, when India had reported only 500 cases, the country went into what was one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. India imposed the earliest and strictest lockdown, but eased restrictions before cases peaked in a stategy contrary to those followed by most nations. HT analysed the affect of the lockdown on different sectors of life.
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Updated on Jun 24, 2020 03:27 PM IST
Lake Mall authorities applaud customers, staff, and retailers for their cooperation during the nationwide lockdown, in Kolkata on June 22. When India reported only 500 cases on March 25, the country went into what was one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. This first set of curbs remained in place till April 14 and was extended four times, each with gradual relaxations. (PTI)
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Updated on Jun 24, 2020 03:27 PM IST
A view from Vikas Marg on a cloudy afternoon in New Delhi on June 23. As people stayed at home, factories, cars, buses fell silent, giving the planet a much-needed relief. The air quality in Delhi – notorious for air pollution – improved. The average of PM2.5 concentrations was far better in 2020 compared to 2019 in the period of the lockdown. (Sonu Mehta / HT Photo)
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Workers install a hoarding in Mumbai on June 23. Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) shows unemployment in India rose to 23.8% in the week lockdown was introduced -- from 8.4% in the preceding week. This was accompanied by a drop in the labour force participation rate (LFPR) to 39.2%. People stopped looking for work due to the lockdown and a higher than usual share looking for work didn’t find any. (Kunal Patil / PTI)
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Residential high rise buildings in Ghaziabad. Google publishes Covid-19 Community Mobility Reports for 131 countries to show how lockdowns affect people’s movement.There was a 30% increase in mobility around residential areas on day 1 of the lockdown. It remained nearly so through the next five weeks, with the only fluctuations recorded on Sundays. Through May, however, movement started dropping every week. (Sakib Ali / HT Photo)
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A shopkeeper waits for customers at a decorative items shop in Kolkata on June 23. There was 77% drop in movement at retail and recreational locations across the country on March 25, dropping as low as -87% on April 18 Through May, however, activity started recovering slightly by the end of the fourth lockdown. In the week ending June 14, activity continued to remain low, averaging -59%. (Swapan Mahapatra / PTI)
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During lockdown, demand for power fell as well. In the week between March 25 and March 31, at an average the year-on-year demand for power fell 31.4%. In the final week of May, near the end of the fourth phase of lockdown, the average demand for power saw a marginal rise, but still remained 17.3% below last year according to data gathered by the Brookings India Electricity and Carbon Tracker. (Virendra Singh Gosain / HT Photo)
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A railway police personnel makes an announcement as passengers wait to board a train at a railway station in Mumbai on June 22. When the lockdown kicked off, movement at transit hubs such as trains and metro stations dropped 73% from the baseline. In the four weeks since, it recovered slightly and continues to remain around 60% below baseline. (Francis Mascarenhas / REUTERS)
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Updated on Jun 24, 2020 03:27 PM IST