It was in January this year, that Piyush Wakade opened a small luxury resort on his property in Nagaon, Alibaug. The resort, which employed around five locals, couldn't have started at a more opportune moment. Since it was peak tourism season, Wakade managed to make around R10 lakh in the next two months, helping him repay a small part of the huge loan he had taken for this new business venture. Then, the lockdown was announced, and everything came to a grinding halt.

Wakade, like many others in the local tourism sector, is reeling under losses and staring at a bleak future. Even after the lockdown lifts next month, the fear of the pandemic might prevent people from stepping out, especially for leisure trips, feels Wakade, who run Eleven Petals Resort. And, with the off season set to begin in June, when monsoon starts, things are unlikely to get better. "I am already finding it difficult to pay the EMI. As of now, I am paying my staff half their salaries, because even they have families to look after. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage this for the rest of the year," he says.