Highlights
- World Food Day is marked on October 16 every year
- On the occasion of the day, WFP released a report - Cost of a Plate of Food
- A basic meal is far beyond the reach of millions of people: Report
New Delhi: How much would you expect to pay for the most basic plate of food? It’s something that many of us might not have calculated and have always taken for granted. In New York State for example, ingredients for a simple meal – perhaps a soup or a simple stew – costs just US$1.26 or .06 percent of someone’s income. Contrast this with India, where a shopper would have to spend US$7.37 or 3.49 per cent of person’s salary for the simple food plate, which is 5.85 times more than that of USA.
Also Read: Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together: All You Need To Know About World Food Day 2020
This is a reality of many countries across the globe where a simple meal such as rice and beans cost the most as a share of their income and that is exactly what the third edition of United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) Cost of a Plate of Food report (formerly called Counting the Beans) released today (October 16) on the occasion of World Food Day, highlights.
The report also states that now COVID-19 has added another layer to the challenges faced by most vulnerable groups and has further worsened the situation. The report states that a basic meal is far beyond the reach of millions of people in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic joins conflict, climate change and economic troubles in pushing up levels of hunger around the world. It also states that the pandemic’s effects include mass unemployment, as well as disrupted trade and supply chains resulting in localised food price increases, all of which contribute to making food more unaffordable to millions of people in the world.
The recent consumer inflation (or retail inflation) rates in India stood at 7.34% in September, the highest since January, furled by rising food prices. Food inflation – or the rate of increase in food prices came in at 10.68 per cent compared to a rise of 9.05 per cent in the previous month. Prices of edible oil, meat and vegetables rose in a range of 13-21 per cent from a year before, the data showed.
Economists said food prices soared due to a pickup in demand ahead of the festival season that runs from October to March, and supply-side disruptions caused by the coronavirus lockdown.
The latest edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World estimates that almost 690 million people went hungry in the year 2019. Beyond this, WFP report estimates that the lives and livelihoods of up to 270 million people will be under severe threat in 2020 unless immediate action is taken to tackle the pandemic.
Talking about the report findings and how coronavirus has further worsened hunger crisis across the globe, WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley said,
This new report exposes the destructive impact of conflict, climate change and economic crises, now compounded by COVID-19, in driving up hunger. It’s the most vulnerable people who feel the worst effects. Their lives were already on the edge – prior to the coronavirus pandemic we were looking at the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II – and now their plight is so much worse as the pandemic threatens nothing less than a humanitarian catastrophe.
Speaking in the context of India and the food affordability, Basanta Kumar Kar, Recipient of 2019 Global Nutrition Leadership Award also known as Nutrition Man of India said,
It is a well-established fact that food and nutrition are linked to peace, harmony and stability at household and society level. Every pandemic has differential impact and differential recovery pattern and this is not an exception to this novel pandemic. This novel pandemic is signaling an impending nutrition famine. It has compounded the food insecurity among the multiple marginalised groups. The cost has a bearing on availability, accessibility and consumption of safe and nutritious diets specifically by the women and children who are THE hardest hit. People in general need calorie, protein and micronutrient rich food to prevent infection, morbidity, mortality and increase immunity. The pregnant woman needs safe and nutritious diets including one additional meal during the pregnancy. But all this comes at a cost price and if people are not able to afford it, they will not take it as a result the cost has a bearing on the newborn; the new generation.
Also Read: Exclusive: World Food Programme India Director On Nobel Peace Prize Win And More
Further suggesting ways in which India can control the cost of most basic food items, Mr Kar added,
What we need is government and civil society organisations working together to realize the goals of India’s Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) and move towards making India ‘Atmanirbhar Poshan (Nutritional Self Reliance)’ country – this should be our country’s top investment agenda. We should work towards sustainable local food system that is climate smart, culture and context specific, inclusive, caring and accountable. As far as food costing is concerned, I think, in principle, the costing of food need to consider nutrition elements being provided by the food items. If it is of higher nutritional value and can address issues like malnutrition in all forms – calorie, protein and micronutrient inadequacy, then it should be made available at the lowest cost possible so as benefit of that food item can be taken by all sections of the societies.
Mr Kar further said that though COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on the marginalised section of the society, but he doesn’t think more people are going hungry in the pandemic as they are unable to afford food. He added,
India’s National Food Security Act 2013 mandates food and nutrition in a life cycle approach and make food as part of rights. Unlike many other countries, India’s commitment to the Right to Food and Nutrition is a big solace during this pandemic time. The National Food Security Act 2013 includes three major food and nutrition entitlement programs such as Targeted Public Distributing System(TPDS), Mid-Day Meal(MDM) Program and ICDS (Integrated Child Development Service) which covers bulk of India’s population. With good governance and good policy, these three food entitlement programs are important lifeline for India’s pandemic hit population. Going beyond the provisions under these three food and nutrition program, the national and state governments in India decided to provide free food grains, advance rationing, supplementary nutrition at doorsteps benefiting the children, women and lactating mothers, provision of mid-day meals to school children or food security allowances in lieu of that, increasing monthly quota of subsidised food grains, providing financial support to the vulnerable with monthly allowances to daily wage labourers using Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) etc. Special hunger relief camps and community kitchens are being set up for most distressed people and migrants to provide them hot cooked meal and other necessities.
Talking about COVID-19 scenario and how it has disturbed the food system along with the steps Indian government should take IN future to help people in need with the continuous food supply, Bishow Parajuli, United Nations World Food Programme Representative and Country Director in India said,
Globally, unfortunately, the COVID-19 has shocked the food system. In the last few months, there has been some increase in prices but the supply aspect has not changed much. There was some disruption in some areas but overall, like in India, the food has always been available. Even during the lockdown, the transport facilities were available for the delivery of essential services. To continue with the smooth production, we need to provide farmers with fertilisers and agricultural inputs. And for distribution, the transport system is the key and we need to keep it running. Due to COVID-19, people lost jobs which led to loss of income and reduced purchasing power. People are unable to buy food and that is the problem government and other organisations need to help with on an urgent basis. In India, the government announced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) that provides free food grains to people and was extended till November end. It was a quick and excellent move which really helped people. But going forward, we may need to continue this support for few more months.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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State & District Details
State | Cases | Active | Recovered | Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|
DistrictCases Mumbai45,478 Thane13,660 Pune9,920 Mumbai Suburban5,363 Aurangabad1,974 Nashik1,575 Raigad1,462 Palghar1,421 Solapur1,291 Jalgaon1,039 Akola757 Nagpur692 Kolhapur646 Satara629 Ratnagiri350 Amravati291 Dhule228 Hingoli208 Jalna201 Ahmednagar190 Nanded176 Yavatmal150 Sangli145 Latur139 Osmanabad125 Sindhudurg114 Buldhana88 Parbhani78 gondia69 Beed54 Nandurbar42 Gadchiroli42 Bhandara41 Chandrapur32 Washim13 Wardha11 | 35,19,208 60,212 | 5,94,585 28,307 | 28,66,097 31,624 | 58,526 281 |
DistrictCases Kannur357 Kasaragod333 Palakkad224 Malappuram119 Kollam118 Thrissur106 Thiruvananthapuram104 Pathanamthitta98 Kozhikode90 Alappuzha76 Kottayam73 Ernakulam60 Idukki40 Wayanad36 | 11,80,397 7,515 | 52,450 4,536 | 11,23,133 2,959 | 4,814 20 |
DistrictCases Udupi1,176 Kalaburagi669 Yadgir538 Bengaluru Urban529 Raichur369 Mandya346 Belagavi337 Bidar219 Hassan205 Davangere204 Vijayapura201 Dakshina Kannada179 Chikkaballapura149 Mysuru107 Bagalkote103 Uttara Kannada95 Shivamogga67 Dharwad61 Ballari60 Gadag45 Bengaluru Rural40 Tumakuru36 Kolar29 Haveri24 Chikkamagaluru19 Chitradurga14 Koppal5 Kodagu4 Ramanagara3 Chamarajanagara0 | 10,83,647 8,778 | 78,636 2,632 | 9,92,003 6,079 | 13,008 67 |
DistrictCases Chennai23,324 Chengalpattu1,314 Thiruvallur774 Villupuram509 Kanchipuram503 Tiruvannamalai496 Cuddalore477 Ariyalur444 Tirunelveli433 Tuticorin333 Kallakurichi324 Madurai322 Salem258 Coimbatore188 Virudhunagar185 Dindigul175 Perambalur133 Ranipet133 Thanjavur130 Theni129 Tiruchirappalli119 Ramanathapuram119 Tiruppur116 Kanniyakumari110 Tenkasi103 Nagapattinam99 Karur88 Namakkal83 Erode75 Vellore71 Thiruvarur67 Pudukkottai53 Sivaganga46 Tirupathur45 Krishnagiri43 The Nilgiris17 Dharmapuri15 | 9,47,129 6,984 | 49,985 3,677 | 8,84,199 3,289 | 12,945 18 |
DistrictCases Kurnool795 Krishna557 Guntur511 Anantapur428 East Godavari356 Chittoor319 Sri Potti Sriramulu Nell*296 Y.S.R.205 West Godavari199 Srikakulam183 Prakasam104 Visakhapatnam103 Vizianagaram23 | 9,32,892 4,228 | 25,850 2,735 | 8,99,721 1,483 | 7,321 10 |
DistrictCases North West5,463 Central4,817 West4,768 New Delhi3,405 North3,059 East2,472 South East2,446 South West2,391 South2,329 North East1,914 Shahdara1,580 | 7,50,156 13,468 | 43,510 5,415 | 6,95,210 7,972 | 11,436 81 |
DistrictCases Gautam Buddha Nagar1,119 Agra933 Ghaziabad794 Meerut504 Lucknow386 Saharanpur298 Kanpur Nagar286 Moradabad252 Varanasi243 Hapur225 Aligarh215 Basti214 Amethi206 Rampur203 Jaunpur194 Firozabad190 Barabanki168 Gorakhpur166 Bulandshahr166 Siddharth Nagar159 Ghazipur159 Bijnor157 Deoria143 Azamgarh138 Sant Kabeer Nagar132 Mathura129 Ayodhya120 Muzaffarnagar117 Sambhal116 Sultanpur97 Ambedkar Nagar92 Maharajganj85 Amroha80 Rae Bareli78 Bahraich73 Kheri72 Kannauj69 Baghpat68 Kushi Nagar67 Bhadohi60 Ballia60 Gonda59 Etah52 Hardoi49 Balrampur49 Mau48 Mainpuri46 Etawah46 Hathras43 Unnao42 Jalaun41 Jhansi41 Shamli40 Chandauli38 Auraiya37 Farrukhabad36 Sitapur32 Prayagraj30 Banda27 Shahjahanpur25 Shravasti23 Budaun23 Mirzapur22 Bareilly17 Kasganj16 Pratapgarh15 Pilibhit15 Sonbhadra10 Kaushambi6 Kanpur Dehat4 Chitrakoot4 Lalitpur3 Hamirpur3 Mahoba3 Fatehpur3 | 7,23,582 17,963 | 95,980 14,404 | 6,18,293 3,474 | 9,309 85 |
DistrictCases Kolkata2,777 Howrah1,435 24 Paraganas North1,031 Hooghly604 24 Paraganas South281 Maldah235 Dinajpur Uttar216 Coochbehar210 Birbhum206 Medinipur West159 Medinipur East153 Nadia139 Purba Bardhaman130 Murshidabad125 Bankura116 Darjeeling97 Jalpaiguri88 Paschim Bardhaman70 Purulia66 Dinajpur Dakshin50 Alipurduar39 Kalimpong18 Jhargram9 | 6,24,224 4,817 | 29,050 2,519 | 5,84,740 2,278 | 10,434 20 |
DistrictCases Bilaspur100 Korba100 Mungeli87 Baloda Bazar85 Jashpur77 Janjgir-Champa56 Mahasamund54 Rajnandgaon52 Kabirdham52 Raigarh47 Raipur46 Balod41 Korea39 Durg31 Bemetara21 Kanker19 Balrampur17 Surguja14 Gariyaband10 Surajpur9 Dhamtari6 Bijapur2 Bastar2 Dantewada0 Kondagaon0 Narayanpur0 Sukma0 | 4,71,994 15,121 | 1,09,139 10,283 | 3,57,668 4,682 | 5,187 156 |
DistrictCases Jaipur2,177 Jodhpur1,748 Udaipur724 Bharatpur563 Kota503 Nagaur500 Ajmer379 Dungarpur374 Pali352 Jhalawar329 Bhilwara250 Sikar231 Chittorgarh188 Tonk171 Jalore164 Rajsamand140 Sirohi130 Bikaner112 Banswara91 Alwar90 Churu81 Jhunjhunu64 Dausa61 Dholpur60 Baran59 Jaisalmer53 Barmer34 Hanumangarh31 SawaiMadhopur26 Karauli17 Pratapgarh14 Ganganagar8 Bundi5 | 3,75,092 5,528 | 40,690 4,249 | 3,31,423 1,251 | 2,979 28 |
DistrictCases Ahmadabad17,125 Surat2,311 Vadodara1,555 Gandhinagar410 Mahesana159 Banas Kantha147 Bhavnagar146 Rajkot135 Arvalli134 Mahisagar125 Anand107 PanchMahals107 Patan105 SabarKantha101 Kachchh99 Kheda98 Jamnagar63 Bharuch56 Botad55 Surendranagar55 Valsad47 GirSomnath45 Dohad43 Chhotaudepur37 Naysari35 Junagadh31 Narmada25 DevbhumiDwarka22 Amreli16 Porbandar11 Tapi6 Dang5 Morbi4 | 3,60,206 6,690 | 34,555 3,875 | 3,20,729 2,748 | 4,922 67 |
DistrictCases Indore3,839 Bhopal1,880 Ujjain799 Burhanpur351 Neemuch319 Jabalpur276 East Nimar266 Sagar228 Gwalior211 Khargone196 Dewas140 Dhar132 Mandsaur112 Morena109 Bhind87 Raisen71 Barwani60 Ratlam51 Rewa39 Shajapur39 Hoshangabad37 Vidisha37 Chhatarpur35 Betul35 Rajgarh31 Dindori29 Sheopur26 Damoh26 Satna24 Anuppur22 Panna20 Tikamgarh18 Sidhi17 Narsinghpur17 Chhindwara16 Agar Malwa15 Mandla15 Shivpuri15 Jhabua14 Shandol14 Singrauli13 Ashoknagar13 Datia12 Sehore12 Umaria10 Balaghat9 Guna8 Harda4 Alirajpur3 Katni3 Seoni2 Niwari0 | 3,53,632 8,998 | 43,539 4,888 | 3,05,832 4,070 | 4,261 40 |
DistrictCases Ganjam581 Jajapur322 Khordha238 Baleshwar190 Kendrapara164 Cuttack155 Bhadrak137 Balangir129 Puri103 Sundargarh102 Jagatsinghapur91 Nayagarh86 Mayurbhanj73 Nuapada69 Gajapati61 Dhenkanal36 Boudh34 Kendujhar34 Deogarh33 Kalahandi33 Sonepur29 Kandhamal28 Anugul26 Malkangiri20 Bargarh16 Koraput16 Sambalpur16 Jharsuguda8 Nabarangpur2 Rayagada2 | 3,53,086 1,784 | 10,033 1,259 | 3,41,123 523 | 1,930 2 |
DistrictCases Hyderabad2,475 Ranga Reddy183 Suryapet87 Jagitial77 Nizamabad76 MedchalMalkajgiri75 Mancherial43 YadadriBhuvanagiri40 Jogulamba Gadwal40 Vikarabad40 Nalgonda33 Warangal Urban32 Mahabubnagar30 Sangareddy26 Khammam26 Adilabad22 Nirmal21 Karimnagar17 RajannaSircilla16 Medak11 Kamareddy11 Mahabubabad10 Jayashankar Bhupalapally9 Nagarkurnool8 Kumuram Bheem Asifabad8 Jangoan8 Siddipet7 Peddapalli5 Bhadradri Kothagudem5 Warangal Rural4 Mulugu3 Narayanpet3 Wanaparthy1 | 3,34,738 2,157 | 25,459 1,328 | 3,07,499 821 | 1,780 8 |
DistrictCases Gurugram2,950 Faridabad867 Sonipat404 Rohtak145 Palwal120 Jhajjar114 Karnal104 Hisar98 Ambala93 Panipat78 Nuh68 Bhiwani60 Rewari56 Kurukshetra55 Sirsa50 Kaithal48 Mahendragarh47 CharkiDadri43 Panchkula39 Fatehabad38 Jind38 Yamunanagar19 | 3,24,544 3,845 | 24,207 1,720 | 2,97,039 2,109 | 3,298 16 |
DistrictCases Patna279 Bhagalpur266 Rohtas256 Khagaria253 Begusarai243 Madhubani199 Munger188 Jehanabad178 Katihar175 Darbhanga143 Samastipur139 Siwan139 PurbiChamparan138 Purnia135 Banka134 Buxar134 Nalanda123 Gopalganj123 Nawada122 Sheikhpura118 Gaya115 Kaimur (bhabua)105 Bhojpur103 Saran101 Muzaffarpur96 Saharsa88 Supaul87 Vaishali87 Madhepura82 Kishanganj75 Aurangabad75 Sitamarhi73 Lakhisarai72 Araria68 Pashchim Champaran57 Arwal52 Jamui47 Sheohar20 | 2,90,385 4,157 | 20,149 3,096 | 2,68,606 1,047 | 1,630 14 |
DistrictCases Amritsar485 Jalandhar297 Ludhiana293 Tarn Taran163 Gurdaspur154 Hoshiarpur140 S.A.S Nagar137 Patiala132 Sangrur107 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)99 Pathankot86 Rupnagar (Ropar)74 Faridkot74 Sri Muktsar Sahib71 Moga65 Bathinda60 Fatehgarh Sahib57 Fazilka53 Firozepur50 Kapurthala44 Mansa31 Barnala25 | 2,79,203 2,980 | 28,184 318 | 2,43,410 2,612 | 7,609 50 |
DistrictCases Kamrup Metro276 Golaghat203 Nagaon143 Hojai89 Dima Hasao86 Karimganj85 Tinsukia84 Cachar80 Dibrugarh61 Hailakandi57 Lakhimpur57 Marigaon50 Dhemaji47 Kamrup42 Kokrajhar37 Dhubri30 Charaideo29 Barpeta28 Udalguri28 Sonitpur27 Jorhat24 Nalbari23 Darrang20 Sivasagar20 Goalpara19 Biswanath16 Baksa14 KarbiAnglong13 Bongaigaon12 Chirang6 West KarbiAnglong5 South SalmaraMancachar4 Majuli2 | 2,21,483 590 | 4,271 537 | 2,16,093 52 | 1,119 1 |
DistrictCases East Singhbum170 Ranchi148 Hazaribagh110 Garhwa80 Ramgarh75 Koderma58 Simdega48 Dhanbad32 Gumla28 Palamu27 West Singhbhum21 SaraikelaKharsawan20 Giridih19 Bokaro16 Latehar14 Khunti10 Lohardaga8 Deoghar5 Dumka5 Pakur4 Jamtara2 Godda2 Chatra1 Sahebganj0 | 1,44,594 2,844 | 17,155 1,812 | 1,26,178 1,003 | 1,261 29 |
DistrictCases Anantnag395 Srinagar300 Kulgam295 Baramulla271 Shopian255 Kupwara231 Bandipora175 Udhampur155 Ramban151 Jammu138 Budgam110 Pulwama108 Kathua53 Rajouri39 Ganderbal37 Poonch35 Doda27 Reasi26 Samba25 Kishtwar10 Mirpur0 Muzaffarabad0 | 1,40,650 1,269 | 8,681 773 | 1,29,932 493 | 2,037 3 |
DistrictCases Dehradun370 Nainital323 Tehri Garhwal110 Haridwar94 Udam Singh Nagar83 Almora71 Champawat45 Pithoragarh43 Chamoli36 PauriGarhwal36 Bageshwar31 Rudraprayag30 Uttar Kashi24 | 1,12,071 1,925 | 9,353 1,507 | 1,00,938 405 | 1,780 13 |
DistrictCases Hamirpur117 Kangra105 Una41 Solan32 Chamba29 Bilaspur21 Mandi21 Sirmaur11 Shimla10 Kullu4 Kinnaur2 Lahaul And Spiti0 | 71,394 619 | 6,269 200 | 63,990 408 | 1,135 11 |
DistrictCases South Goa69 North Goa57 | 63,342 562 | 4,888 323 | 57,601 236 | 853 3 |
DistrictCases Pondicherry111 Mahe4 Karaikal2 Yanam0 | 44,973 418 | 2,800 206 | 41,477 209 | 696 3 |
DistrictCases Dhalai196 Sepahijala174 Gomati74 South Tripura53 Unakoti49 West Tripura45 Khowai24 North Tripura14 | 33,844 39 | 312 14 | 33,138 25 | 394 |
DistrictCases Chandigarh313 | 31,564 397 | 3,370 15 | 27,793 381 | 401 1 |
DistrictCases Churachandpur32 Kangpokpi26 Imphal West21 Thoubal18 Imphal East10 Tengnoupal9 Bishnupur7 Senapati6 Chandel5 Kamjong5 Ukhrul4 Jiribam3 Pherzawl3 Kakching2 Tamenglong2 Noney1 | 29,540 26 | 118 15 | 29,046 11 | 376 |
DistrictCases Changlang31 Papum Pare8 Lohit3 Namsai2 West Siang1 East Siang1 Upper Siang1 Tawang1 PakkeKessang1 West Kameng0 Upper Subansiri0 Tirap0 Siang0 Shi Yomi0 Anjaw0 Lower Subansiri0 Lower Dibang Valley0 Longding0 Leparada0 KurungKumey0 KraDaadi0 Kamle0 East Kameng0 Dibang Valley0 Lower Siang0 | 16,902 14 | 55 14 | 16,791 | 56 |
DistrictCases East Khasi Hills22 West Garo Hills5 South West Garo Hills4 North Garo Hills1 West Jaintia Hills1 West Khasi Hills1 East Garo Hills0 East Jaintia Hills0 Ribhoi0 South Garo Hills0 South West Khasi Hills0 | 14,387 87 | 270 77 | 13,966 10 | 151 |
DistrictCases Dimapur20 Mon8 Kohima7 Kiphire3 Tuensang3 Peren2 Phek1 Longleng0 Mokokchung0 Wokha0 Zunheboto0 | 12,427 11 | 174 7 | 12,160 4 | 93 |
DistrictCases Kargil77 LehLadakh43 | 11,070 165 | 851 130 | 10,088 35 | 131 |
DistrictCases East District3 South District3 North District0 West District0 | 6,435 25 | 175 14 | 6,124 11 | 136 |
DistrictCases South Andamans33 Nicobars1 North And Middle Andaman1 | 5,209 8 | 93 4 | 5,054 4 | 62 |
DistrictCases Kolasib11 Aizawl10 Mamit8 Lawngtlai2 Lunglei2 Saitual1 Champhai0 Hnahthial0 Khawzawl0 Saiha0 Serchhip0 | 4,685 30 | 204 29 | 4,469 1 | 12 |
DistrictCases Dadra And Nagar Haveli20 | 4,307 98 | 578 77 | 3,727 21 | 2 |
DistrictCases Lakshadweep District0 | 833 20 | 86 11 | 746 9 | 1 |