Most Mumbaikars stayed indoors soon after the lockdown was announced; for Sudesh Vijay Mohite (40), that was not an option.
For the past month, Mr. Mohite, who works for the meat and seafood company Licious, had to continue taking meat, poultry and fish to Mumbaikars’ homes in order to make ends meet.
“It is risky and scary, but what can one do? I am a middle class man and cannot afford to sit at home. Initially, the family was against me coming to work but I somehow convinced them,” said Mr. Mohite, who lives with his wife, two teenage children and his parents in an apartment in Jogeshwari.
Initially, Mr. Mohite was afraid to step out, but has gradually gained in confidence “with proper training and guidelines.” He credits the police, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and his employer with making his job seamless during the lockdown.
Early fears
The first week of the lockdown was a little difficult; this was a time when delivery executives did not dare venture out for fear of a police crackdown.
Eventually, everything fell into place with help from the local police and the authorities who gave Mr. Mohite the permission to operate.
“The police have given us enough dos and don’ts, besides guidelines to use a handwash before and after deliveries, and sanitising their hands. They have told us which area is safe, which one is marked under the ‘red’ zone (where deliveries are continuing) and what needs to be done to ensure that everyone is safe,” he said.
His organisation too has briefed all the delivery executives about the gravity of the situation and how serious it could turn if precautions were not taken. Importantly, customers had to be reassured that they would not contract the virus from delivery personnel.
“We have been told to keep our masks on throughout the day, use sanitizers at regular intervals, wash our hands with soap every hour, and maintain social distancing,” he said.
The executives do a ‘contactless’ delivery, leaving items outside customers’ doors or handing them over to the security personnel. Mr. Mohite does 40-50 deliveries a day, from Vile Parle to Andheri, Jogeshwari and Ram Mandir.
A third element that came to his rescue in the early days of the lockdown: his public relations skills and presence of mind. Not only did he put them to good use with the police, but he also used a pass issued by a charitable organisation for distribution of relief to migrants, to move around without fear.
“Since I have been in the delivery business for a long time, I have built a rapport with the police in many areas. Hence, when at times my colleagues get into trouble, I have been able to use my contacts and help them complete their deliveries,” he said. Because he is the seniormost member of the team, his colleagues looked to him for assurance, asking him to first go and check the situation on the ground before they stepped out. “I have been able to build that confidence in them,” he said.
Risks and benefits
Mr. Mohite’s residence as well as his delivery areas are in red zones. His locality, particularly, has the third largest number of COVID-19-positive patients in the city.
And when he returns from work, he is not allowed to enter the house without first bathing in the society bathroom.
“Luckily, our building has a designated bathroom for all the delivery executives living there. So we bathe, sanitise ourselves, and only then enter our respective homes,” he said.
Aside from the risk, his job is giving him additional benefits during the lockdown: with most people ordering online, he makes anywhere between ₹22,000 to ₹25,000 a month, as against ₹18,000 that he earned prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
As a way to give back what he gets, Mr. Mohite delivers food to the poor and needy on behalf of a local philanthropic trust, once he is done with the day’s work. “This has helped me stay informed about ground realities,” he said.
His work, more than anything else, gives him the greatest satisfaction. “It’s a matter of pride that I can help Mumbaikars access hygienic non-vegetarian products at their doorstep,” he says.
