Page 88 - Sonbeel Utsab 2024

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF
FISHERMAN COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY IN ASIA'S SECOND
LARGEST BEEL (SONBEEL)

Dr. Partha Sarathi Das, Associate Professor, Deptt. of Botany & Biotechnology,
Karimganj College
Shri Gadapani Sarma, Assistant Professor, Deptt. of Economics, Karimganj College

INTRODUCTION
According to a recently launched dashboard (https://covid19vul.in/) for
tracking the economic vulnerability of states during the COVID-19 outbreak, Assam
has a medium economic vulnerability status with almost 52 per cent of its workers
engaged in sectors partially or fully closed due to the lockdown. Considering the
gravity of the situation, it is imperative for the State to develop a three-pronged
approach, viz. undertaking immediate measures to combat the crisis, planning and
implementing medium- and long-term measures for revival and developing a
strategy to be prepared for any such crisis in future.

Macro-Economic Impact
Overall macro-economic impact of the COVID-19 on the country and the
state needs to be examined both in terms of aggregate supply and aggregate demand.
It needs to be recognised that even before the COVID-19 pandemic has hit India, the
economy of the country was already experiencing visible slowdown indicated by
declining growth rates. Since beginning of the year 2018-19 (i.e. the first quarter) the
growth of the GDP in the country has been continuously declining for successive
quarters (Economic Survey of India, 2019-20, p.5). Consequently, the growth rate
for 2019-20 in India has been estimated to be 5 percent, which is the lowest in the last
11 years marking about 27 percent fall over the previous year's (i.e. 2018-19) rate of
6.8 percent (CSO, Government of India). Evidently, economy of the country was
already experiencing a contraction. Consequently, overall employment in the
country got adversely affected. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of 2017-
18 (NSSO, Government of India) reveals that not only has there been an
unprecedented increase in the unemployment rate (i.e. 6.1 percent, the highest in last
four decades) but that it has been accompanied by a fall in the absolute number of
workers compared to the previous survey in 2011–12. It has also been estimated that
some 62 lakh employment has been lost during 2011-12 and 2017- 18. Worsening
employment scenario in the country, naturally, resulted in reduction in levels of
income of people. Therefore, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, economy of the
country in general was going through a phase of economic contraction and falling
aggregate demand.

It may also be noted that the overall economic situation of Assam, prior to the
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