With the thought that no one should sleep hungry, the former Director General of Police and a Charted Accountant from London with the famous Dabbawalas of Mumbai have joined hands and launched the project called Mumbai Roti Bank. The initiative provides a boost to a similar effort by dabbawallas of the city, who had, on a smaller scale started collecting excess food from function venues like wedding & parties and from homes of those willing to donate in south and central Mumbai.
Like a drop in the ocean, a few people have come forward to do their bit when it comes to food, hunger and the hungry.
“People and organisations that have excess food to spare can now callup a 24×7 helpline no: 9111891118/Website:www.rotibankindia.org.
They can provide the location from where the excess food has to be picked up. We will do the rest,” former Mumbai Police commissioner D Shivanandan said.
“If there is food available for more than 20 people, then people can call us up and we will pick up the food and distribute it in the hunger pockets,” said Shweta Mangal, director of MUrgency, the company which runs an emergency service and is supporting the call centre for food as well.
ROTI BANK
Through the Roti Bank initiative of Dabbawalas in Mumbai leftover food from restaurants is collected and delivered to the needy. A charted accountant from London, Nitin Khanapurkar, with an urge to give back something to the city where he was born, along with former Mumbai Police commissioner D. Sivanandan have lent their support to Roti Bank.
Sivanandan, who retired as Maharashtra Director General of Police, said, “We are enhancing their capabilities by providing GPS tracked vehicles, plates and spoons, and a helpline number where people can call in case they have excess food. We have provided one vehicle and have been offered more.
Beginning with south and central Mumbai, eventually entire city including Thane and Navi Mumbai would be covered A hunger mapping survey in the city has helped in identifying areas where the needy are based.
Two dabbawalas will travel in the van between 4 pm to 2 am and will collect the food from places willing to give it away.
The timings were devised smartly. After lunch and dinner, the availability of leftover food is higher.
In India, an estimated 20 crore people — or the entire population of Pakistan sleep hungry daily,3,000 infants die due to malnutrition and hunger every day, but on the other hand, there is a huge wastage of food, especially at big events, parties, marriages, etc,” said Subhash Talekar of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association.
