street vendors in india during covid

The COVID-19 lockdown has been unforgiving on the street vendors, impacting the lives and livelihoods of millions of self-employed men and women who form the crux of India’s local entrepreneurial spirit. Already neglected and overlooked, the street vendors in India during COVID-19 were faced with hunger and hopelessness.

The lockdown deprived them of their income by taking away the most essential element of their work – access to public space. They did not have the privilege of working from home and exhausted their savings to feed their families. High-interest loans, selling of household assets, debt traps, and lack of healthcare became the new norm for them as they grappled with the pandemic.

In the initial weeks, around 90% of street vendors lost their work, and even when restrictions were lifted, restarting from scratch was tough as they had already used up savings for survival. Moreover, there is also continued hostility towards street hawkers in India from the police, the authorities, and local powerful men. Seen as encroachers, they are harassed, evicted, and their valuable carts snatched in the name of law and order. Bribes and ‘hafta vasooli’ take away a major chunk of their income. While phenomenal on paper, the Street Vendors Act of 2014 has not been successful in significantly changing the landscape for the vendors either.

Women's street vendors face a myriad of problems as well. Apart from the lack of sanitation facilities, they have no access to proper childcare, and face health problems, lack support and opportunities, and poor working environments – all of this while also dealing with the responsibilities of being a housewife, a mother, and a vendor.

It’s an uphill battle for street vendors in India during COVID-19, but you can help.