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Daily wage earners from 350 families in Thane face hardships
Around 350 families living in Thane’s Vangani area, around 60km from Mumbai, are struggling to make ends meet amid the lockdown.
Around 350 families living in Thane’s Vangani area, around 60km from Mumbai, are struggling to make ends meet amid the lockdown.
Most of these families are of daily wage labourers and those working at small-scale industries who had been employed under the skill development scheme. Some used to sell ornaments and other items on trains. Almost all the families have at least one visually-impaired member. With residents forced to remain at homes, these families have no means to earn money to buy the essential commodities.
One of the residents, Sunil Havle, 42, works in Bandra as a masseur. He was paid only for 10 days in March. “We ate less as the provisions have started to get over,” said Havle.
Another resident, Padma Amolik, 35, earns a living by making paper plates at a small-scale firm. With her factory shut, she unable to make ends meet. “Our groceries got exhausted a couple of weeks ago. My husband is ill. With no money and food at home, it has been difficult to survive. Hopefully, after the lockdown ends, I can get back to work and earn.”
Amolik said a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Habitat for Humanity India, is helping around 100 families with basic grocery and have also accommodated around 15 families in a nearby building.
“The groceries provided by them will suffice for a few days,” Amolik said.
The NGO has been supplying residents with a kit, comprising wheat flour, rice, edible oil, sugar, varieties of dal, spices, toothpaste, soap, washing powder, dish washing liquid and other essentials, Rajan Samuel, managing director of Habitat for Humanity India, said.
“We want to ensure that their lives are not disrupted and they continue to have access to food and other necessary items. If a disaster hits, it is always the poor conditions who struggle the most, said Samuel.
