Mumbai’s iconic Dabbawalas have suspended their lunchbox delivery services on Monday, July 6, as relentless heavy rainfall and widespread waterlogging continue to disrupt normal life across the city and its neighbouring areas.
The Mumbai Dabbawala Association said it took this decision as a safety precautionary measure and it would take care of its workforce. The suspension comes as a result of severe flooding in regions of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and severe disruption to suburban railway services which form the backbone of the Dabbawalas’ delivery services.
The association president Ulhas Muke said several Dabbawalas living in the Virar-Vasai region have been directly affected by the heavy rains, with floodwater entering their homes.
Because of heavy rainfall in the Virar-Vasai region, several Dabbawalas’ houses are flooded. Waterlogging has also been reported at many railway stations. “We have decided to stop services today because of our employees’ safety, so we are going to suspend services,” said Muke.
So we want to apologise to customers for their inconvenience as a result of the one-day suspension and our thanks for their understanding during the bad weather.
Train disruption contributed to the decision. Due to continuous rain, a number of Western Railway suburban services have been delayed, making it very difficult for Dabbawalas to transport thousands of lunchboxes across Mumbai in their strict delivery schedules.
The Dabbawalas rely almost entirely on Mumbai's suburban railway network to collect, sort and distribute home-cooked meals from households to offices across the city. Any disruption to train services has a direct impact on their operations.
The association stressed that although the organisation has continued to deliver for more than 125 years, safety of the employees was the primary concern.
Although our 125-year-old tradition is our priority, we have to make sure that our employees are safe and that they are aware of what is going on. We have to take this into consideration and therefore we are now suspending services," the association said.
Mumbai Dabbawalas are known for their very efficient logistics system, and deliver a lot of lunchboxes every day. Their coding and distribution system has been studied by top business schools and management schools around the world as a benchmark in supply chain excellence.
The temporary suspension of services highlights the extent of monsoon-related problems such as transportation, inundated low-lying areas, and disruption to daily life in Mumbai. Even one of the city’s most reliable and time-tested services has been forced to halt operations due to the extreme weather.
Authorities have advised people not to travel unnecessarily because heavy rainfall is expected to continue, while railway and civic officials are on alert to handle the impact of the monsoon on the city.
