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Marathwada farmers seek odd jobs in Pune’s cracker industry
With excessive rainfall and flash floods having destroyed farmlands, over 2,000 farmers from Marathwada have been forced to come to Pune in search of employment in its cracker selling industry
PUNE: With excessive rainfall and flash floods having destroyed farmlands, over 2,000 farm labourers from Marathwada have been forced to come to Pune in search of employment in its cracker selling industry. Most of them are now working as porters, cashiers and salesmen at some of the biggest cracker-selling outlets in Golibar maidan, Wanowrie and Kothrud among others.
Gokul Koli, a salesman at a cracker-selling shop in Golibar maidan hails from the Latur district. “I have to look after my parents, wife and three children. I used to till the field and get paid by the farmer. But this year, my employer incurred huge losses due to the rains and relieved me from my work. There are no jobs available as I am uneducated. Through one of my contacts in Pune, I decided to visit the city and seek employment to support my family.”
According to the trader community, Marathwada, which typically faces water shortage throughout the year, saw unprecedented rain at the time of withdrawal of the monsoon forcing many farmers and farm labourers to move out of the region in search of odd jobs to support their families.
Farmer Atul Patil said that he used to cultivate soybean and basic pulses on his farm but the recent heavy rain destroyed his cultivation completely leading to huge losses. “One of my relatives is already working here in Pune and he helped me get the job. I will earn Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 in a month which will help me and my family,” he said.
Santosh Bora - owner of Pune’s oldest cracker outlet, Bansilal Phataka mart and president of Shobhechi Daru Utpadak Kharidi Vikri Sahakari Sangh, a Pune-based umbrella organisation of firecracker outlets (registered in 1961) - has been helping distressed persons from the region. “Annually, 1,500 to 2,000 unemployed people usually come to Pune after Dussehra and work at temporary outlets set up during the festive season. But this year, over 2,000 people have come from Marathwada. Our organisation has decided to accommodate every person who arrives and has also made arrangements for food and shelter for the entire month. These people work very hard and are loyal and trustworthy. Since the local labour force is absent, we depend on them completely. Most of them are employed by traders because of their honesty and hard work,” Bora said.
Sanjay Waghmare, a worker from Ausa in Latur said, “There is no work available at home and we have loans to pay and we have to support our families. The cracker traders provide all the necessary help to us and ensure that our stay is comfortable. This Diwali is an opportunity to do hard work and wipe-off debts,” he said.
