India has encountered a variety of epidemics and pandemics through time. Several accounts of influenza, cholera, dengue, smallpox and several others have been recorded throughout history.

” A sizable outbreak can overwhelm the health system, limiting the capacity to deal with routine health issues and compounding the problem.” 

Beyond shocks to the health sector, epidemics force both the ill and their caretakers to miss work or be less effective at their jobs, driving down and disrupting productivity.

 India has economic opportunities in various fields like knowledge economy, holistic development, futuristic, resilient and digital infrastructure. The outbreak of COVID-19 has been an adverse effect on the Indian economy pillars. The lockdown has accelerated the adoption of digital technology.

 Business houses, educational institutes, analytics, computer, data management methods, and online education solutions have been forced to work from home and improve in quality and delivery time to handle such situations which intern focusing on the use of technologies to connect over the globe. The use of technology in education is resulting in different concepts in the education system for a highly populated and diverse country like India. For instance, the move from teacher-centric education to student-centric education. 

In the coming year, there will be a decrease in the number of tourist trips, declines in retail trade and hence will have a subsequent decrease in international trade and international capital flows. The Indian tourism and hospitality industry may see a potential loss of nearly 38 million, nearly 70 percent of the total workforce. 

A sudden stop of urban activity could lead to fall in the consumption of non-essential goods. The impact could be even more severe if domestic supply chain disruption caused by the 21-day lockdown were to affect the availability of essential commodities. Supply chain restrictions and expected labour migration may be other impediments for the recovery of the petrochemical sector.

Among the major sectors, textile and apparel production is likely to fall by 10 percent to 12 percent in the April-June quarter of FY21. The sourcing of auto components may get costlier owing to a disturbance in the supply chain across the globe. The retail financing industry, one of the key drivers for credit growth in the banking and NBFC sector, will be impacted for at least two quarters.

 Though coronavirus pandemic has brought chaos to lives and economies around the world, on the contrary, there has been a reduction in seismic noise because of changes in human activity which is a boon for geoscientists. Researchers who study Earth’s movement have reported that there is a sudden drop in seismic noise. The vibrations under the earth’s crust that could be the result of transport networks and other human activities being shut down. This could allow detectors to spot smaller earthquakes and vibrations under the earth’s surface so that can boost efforts to monitor volcanic activity and other seismic events. Data from a seismometer at the observatory show that measures to curb the spread of COVID- caused human-induced seismic noise to fall by about one-third. The measures included closing schools, restaurants, and other public venues and banning all non-essential travel. The current drop in seismic events has boosted the sensitivity of the observatory’s equipment, helping to improving its ability to detect waves and sudden changes taking place under earth crust.

While focusing more on, ‘development-driven’ lifestyle, we have altered the natural surroundings.  Keeping our needs and desires as the priority and evading in the natures personal comfort we have a massive damage to their homes. With people in India and elsewhere locked down in homes due to the Ccovid-19, the peaceful comeback of public spaces by flora and fauna is teaching us important lessons. 

As soon as humans emptied the streets, animals took over. And not just in India but from all over the world flora and fauna is flourishing it is a lesson in the human where the nature tells us how we have occupied their spaces and destroying their natural habitat. For instance, the abandoned city of Pripyat in northern Ukraine, the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. More than 30 years after the nuclear disaster, the place has now encountered about 200 bird species and other animals, including in the exclusion zone that humans had created after the explosion. Perhaps its nature’s way to bring balance in biodiversity.

Indians has stood strong through several epidemics and pandemics in past. Good medical care and efficient research have made it possible to fight infection. Many infections and diseases have become widespread due to the mere lack of sanitation and crowded environment.

“While doctors are fighting against the COVID-19 inside hospitals, it’s the police who have to enforce the lockdown outside. Being an Indian it is our responsibility to stay home and stay safe.”

Written By: Apurva Somvanshi

IEEE Member No: 96144523