Not just customers, this chaiwala lost his friends

The ill-fated Kurla building had approximately 40 migrants from UP and Bihar who worked as carpenters and daily wage labourers in and around Kurla

Mumbai Swapnil Jawalgekar, who runs a tea stall in the area, rushed to the spot the moment he heard about the building collapse. The ill-fated Kurla building had approximately 40 migrants from UP and Bihar who worked as carpenters and daily wage labourers in and around Kurla.

Over the period of time, Jawalgekar said he developed an emotional bond with these carpenters (HT File)

With their families in villages, Jawalgekar said that he knew most of them as they came to his stall for tea every day. “I was having my dinner in a hotel when I heard about the incident. They were earlier living in my locality before they shifted to this building. There, the rent was ₹5,000 and only two people used to live in one room. It has been a few months since they were all shifted,” he said.

Over the period of time, Jawalgekar said he developed an emotional bond with these carpenters. “They regularly came to my stall for chai and I gave them chai on credit basis too. I knew most of them for over two years. They told me that they have several times told the supervisor about the condition of the building. In each room, 10-15 people lived,” he said. Jawalgekar, his father and friends divided themselves between the hospital and the collapse site.

“The families are in villages. It is an unfortunate incident. They needed emotional support too,” he said.