Socio-economic Conditions and WASH practices in dominant outmigrating states in India: In the amid of COVID-19

Abstract

The present study has examined the trends and patterns of COVID-19 in the high outmigration states and their socio-economic conditions and WASH practices in India. The study used www.covid19India.org, an Indian government portal to collect data on COVID-19 from 25 April to 31 June 2020, to identify the trends and patterns. Data collected from Census of India (2011) and nationally representative Survey-National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4), 2015-2016. Three separate vulnerable indexese.g. WASH practice, Socio-economic-demographic, and overall vulnerability index respectively prepared to detect the conditions of WASH practice and socio-economic condition. The high outmigration states are the worst COVID-19 affected state than least outmigration states because
of the large number of reverse migration. There is a big challenge to follow proper home isolation guidelines in the states where vulnerability index values are high. Results also reveal that the high outmigration states with poor and inadequate migration welfare policy having more chances to employment crisis and an unstable economy. Mass reverse migration, high vulnerability conditions of socio-economic, contingency and WASH practice and migration welfare programs, policies and initiatives in highly outmigration states in India are the big challenges to obey proper home isolation practices and economic sustainability.