Rural India sinks deeper into debt as COVID-19 wipes out work

Asha Devi, 35, had to mortgage her land for a 20,000 rupee ($270) loan and six month on, as the money runs out, she has stopped buying milk, halved her use of cooking oil and can afford lentils only about once every 10 days.

Reuters
July 06, 2021 / 11:26 AM IST

More than 1.04 crore migrant workers across the country returned to their home states amid the coronavirus pandemic-led livelihood crisis


Asha Devi doesn't remember how many meals she has skipped as she struggles to feed her family of seven in a remote corner of northern India where the novel coronavirus is compounding old problems of rural debt and poverty.


Devi, 35, had to mortgage her land for a 20,000 rupee ($270) loan and six month on, as the money runs out, she has stopped buying milk, halved her use of cooking oil and can afford lentils only about once every 10 days.