COVID-19 India: Prachee Kulkarni Talks About Her Experience Covering Covid-19
Prachee Kulkarni is a journalist based in Pune, Maharashtra. She works for Pune Mirror as its principal correspondent and has been covering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic for the paper.
Prachee normally reports on politics and civic issues for her paper. But Covid-19 has changed a lot.
“There are issues ranging from basic health concerns, to addictions, to economic crises, to daily impact on every single citizen's life. 17 slum dwellers are confining them in a small room in a bid to survive. This is not something one will regularly get to witness,” she said when informing CFWIJ about the impact of Covid-19 on her reporting.
Talking about the experience of reporting Covid-19 so far, Prachee describes it to be “painful”, given the levels at which the virus has affected the lives of the citizens.
“Along with the concerns in healthcare it has also caused an economic crisis due to the lockdown and has impacted the lives of the specially the poor and middle class,” she said.
India has been in a lockdown for more than a month now. Despite the restrictions placed by the government, Prachee stated that cases in some parts of the country still continue to rise.
“Only a few states like Kerala have managed to control the spread with various measures. Government authorities do send out figures and daily updates however there are many untold stories beyond the data. I am trying to focus on this as a journalist.”
When asked if journalists in India are facing any restrictions by the government in terms of coverage Pracahee said, “No there are no restrictions.”
However, she has been having a hard time finding places to sit and write from since everything has been shut down. Getting food and daily commutes are also challenging for Prachee as a result of Covid-19.
Prachee reports from Pune, which happens to be one of the most affected cities in India. Since she has opted to cover the pandemic on the ground, Prachee has been trying to stay safe with the safety gear provided by her office.
“There are people who are walking thousands of kilometers to reach back to their homes due to the economic crisis and fear of getting infected. Lock down has impacted them badly. These stories need to be told from the ground. My office has provided basic safety gear like masks, gloves and glasses. Apart from that regular use of sanitizers, using N95 when I am going in badly affected areas are a few steps that I am trying to take, “ she said and added that she uses her own vehicle when stepping outside for work.
Following her on the ground work and the risks associated with it, Prachee shared that she has chosen to stay away from her three-and-a-half-year old daughter and mother in law who is in her 60s, by confining herself to a single room in the house.
Most journalists CFWIJ has spoken with have shared the mental and physical stress they’ve experienced while reporting the pandemic. Many of them have developed certain habits to make sure they stay fit and healthy while they’re at it. This is what Prachee had to say.
“Talking to a therapist, as and when required, and taking all the possible precautions are the few things that I am trying to do. With the unpredictable schedules and lock down it has become difficult to follow a regular workout schedule though.”
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