The COVID 19 pandemic is an unprecedented situation leading to social and economic disruption coupled with loss of life. The lockdown enforced to halt the spread of the disease, affected access and delivery of essential services concerning the health and well-being of various disadvantaged sections, especially women and children in densely populated slums and low-income housing clusters in urban areas. Migrant populations that sustain urban economies while living with fragile social protection services and economic security infrastructure, were severely affected by the lockdown. Restrictions in movement, loss of economic opportunities due to closure of informal market establishments, supply chain bottlenecks in essential goods and poor quality of housing conditions including lack of basic health, nutrition, and hygiene and sanitation services led to mammoth challenges for millions of urban marginalised across the country.



The COVID pandemic has over the past 9 months, highlighted the glaring inequities in urban public health scenario. The worst hit epicenters across the world were the metropolitan cities. Among other, spatial and self-reliance aspects played an important role in making cities more vulnerable than their rural counterparts. The Webinar#5 of the Dhaara series was a conscious attempt to understand the impact of COVID 19 in India’s urban nerve centers for risk communication and community engagement.

Held on December 17th 2020, the webinar was two-hour long exchange of perspectives on challenges imposed on urban communities and sharing of lessons emerging from a resolution of the challenges faced. It was facilitated by New Concept Centre for Development Communication (NCCDC) through SBCC Tarang hub in partnership with UNICEF.

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