[Watch/Read] Crusading Against Hunger, Mumbai Dabbawalas Come Up With 'Roti Bank'

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We all know about Dabbawalas, the people who deliver tiffins to millions of office-goers across Mumbai with breathtaking precision and speed. Close to 5,000 Dabbawalas serve about 2 lakh people a day, a service which they have done from 1890. Now the Dabbawalas have come up with a whole new initiative where they will feed the hungry and underprivileged by creating a “Roti bank”.

How does the Roti Bank work?
Through the Roti Bank, they have tied up with 30 wedding planners and caterers who can call them on two helpline numbers to schedule a pickup. Even private citizens can use the helpline numbers after a house party. The leftover food from such occasions is packed by the Dabbawalas and distributed among the underprivileged and needy. The helpline numbers are +919867221310 and +918652760542.

Wastage vs Hunger
You might have felt like many others that there is an appalling amount of food which goes wasted after a marriage or a party is over. Wastage of food should not be tolerated when so many people in our country and around the world still die of hunger. Let’s look at some of the numbers with respect to wastage of food:

1.) Hunger remains the leading cause of death worldwide. However, one-third of all food produced worldwide worth around US$1 trillion gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems.
2.)Every year, consumers in industrialized countries waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa put together.
3.) The numbers are outrageous in India too when it comes to wastage of food grains produced, prepared food and the number of people who die of hunger or are malnourished. One-third of the world’s hungry population live in India and over 7000 people die of hunger every day.

In the light of these staggering numbers what the Dabbawalas are doing is nothing short of Noble. The Logical Indian applauds the Dabbawalas in this new initiative. We hope that other urban areas which also tend to waste a lot of food would take up such initiatives to prevent wastage and feed the hungry. The Logical Indian appeals to our community to take a pledge against wastage of food and do our bit in restraining hunger deaths.