Another pandemic casualty: Matheran's hand-pulled rickshaws

Hand-pulled rickshaw operators usually work in twos, one pulls it while another joins him to push it uphill

Matheran's hand-pulled rickshaw business is on the verge of dying even as tourists gather in large numbers. Of the 94 rickshaws that used to ply prior to the lockdown, barely 25 are now functional, as traditional labourers who used to come from Yavatmal district, have refused to come back citing lockdown and fear of the pandemic.

"We have done it for almost two generations and cannot see the industry die like this. Pulling carts is a very laborious task on the hills here and there is not much money in it. We also fall ill regularly due to the dust and hard work. The new generation will not touch this profession," Ganpat Ranjane who has been pulling rickshaws for 29 years said.

Ganpat Ranjane , rickshaw puller and Ramesh Lokhande, rickshaw puller

"I have been in this profession since my grandfather's time. It is a very difficult job, but this is the only form of employment for me here. The crowds have now increased in Matheran again after the lockdown as tourists are back. I have been doing this for 21 years. After the labourers from Yavatmal did not return, the responsibility is on our shoulders and the entire business is down," said Ramesh Lokhande.

Ranjane said behind every cart there are four people. "One is the owner and three are labourers. If we get R100 for a ride from the customer, I get R25. There is not much response to the rickshaws like there used to be before the lockdown but children, women and seniors hire us," he added. There usually are two people working at a time with the hand cart rickshaw. One pulls it while another helps push the cart uphill.

"There should be some option for us and we should be rehabilitated if the industry is dying like this," Ranjane said. "It is a fact that of about 94 hand rickshaws, only 25 are working. It is a hard task on the steep hills. Most of the labourers here were from Yavatmal district and they have still not returned, leading to the slow death of the entire hand-rickshaw business. The existing workers here are long-time residents," said Sunil Shinde, head of the Shramik Rickshaw Sanghatana. Shinde said since the lockdown was lifted, more than 27,000 tourists have visited Matheran and the 25 hand rickshaws are falling short.

"The unreliable train service has affected the livelihood of the people here and now they need options. The train was shut in 2005, then again in 2016, and closed again now. The railways can investigate their reasons, but we need something more dependable. The horse-pulled carriage owners and hand rickshaw pullers need a better option. Since Matheran is an eco-sensitive zone, we have come up with a proposal of e-rickshaws. Electric rickshaws are safe, no environment hazard, and will be faster to commute. It will give us a dependable mode of transit," Shinde said.

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