Exclusive | Maharashtra: Liberation in Matheran

Delivery of the new e-autos in Matheran; (right) Prashant Gautam Gaikwad, a hand-rickshaw puller

Raising an investment of Rs 53 lakh, 18 hand-rickshaw pullers have been able to upgrade to e-autos in Matheran, thanks to the Matheran e-Auto Rickshaw Fund by Rang De. This Bengaluru-based peer-to-peer platform allows citizens to invest in underbanked communities. The investment ensured them a life away from the struggle and hard work of pulling e-rickshaws throughout the day, on the mud roads of Matheran.

Rang De is not a crowd funding platform, but an RBI-regulated peer-to-peer lending platform. Individuals lend money towards the livelihood and education needs of communities at low interest rates. Individuals who receive the loans repay them as per a predefined repayment schedule. This can be either withdrawn or reinvested.

The peer-to-peer lending platform will ensure a struggle free life

"By investing in the Matheran e-Auto Rickshaw Fund, citizens invested Rs 53 lakh to directly aid 18 hand-rickshaw pullers to purchase their e-autos. This will help them increase their monthly income to as much as Rs 30,000. This is not just an investment in a vehicle, but an investment in a person's livelihood, health, and dignity, supporting a sustainable, efficient, and equitable mode of transport. It will create hundreds of days of livelihood while preserving the ecological sanctity of a beloved hill station," said Smita Ram, co-founder of Rang De.

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The SC had on Jan 10 this year asked the state government to permit the licenced hand rickshaw pullers or hand cart owners to operate the e-autos at the hill station as they are the ones who will lose their livelihood. Subsequently, there was a demand to increase the number of e-rickshaws to allow maximum hand-pulled rickshawalas. Following this, the Matheran eco-sensitive monitoring committee in their March 2024 meeting recommended increasing the number of e-rickshaws to 20.

(left to right) Rupesh Kashinath Gaikwad; Vijay Sahadev Kadam; Akash Vishwas Vaidya

"Yes, rickshaw pullers have now managed to purchase their own e-autos. It's a big step towards eradication of the inhuman practice of hand-pulled rickshaws. Municipal Council chief officer Rahul Ingle on June 10 handed over 20 e-rickshaws as a part of the pilot project to sanghatana. E-rickshaws have increased tourism and tourist count in Matheran even on weekdays. The SC has directed the Matheran monitoring committee to decide the number of e-rickshaws in town. There are 94 hand rickshaw pullers and they all need to be permitted and only then our goal to get rid of inhuman practice will be achieved," said Sunil Shinde, the petitioner and secretary of the Shramik Rickshaw Chalak Maalak Seva Sanstha.

Case studies

Prashant Gautam Gaikwad, a resident of Matheran for fifteen years, has operated a hand-pulled rickshaw to support his family of four.
For nearly 10 years, Vijay Sahadev Kadam, a Matheran resident, has tirelessly operated a hand-pulled rickshaw to support his family of four.
Rupesh Kashinath Gaikwad, a Matheran local, has been operating a hand-pulled rickshaw business for ten years to provide for his family of five.
Akash Vishwas Vaidya, managing a hand-pulled rickshaw business for a decade in Matheran, Raigad, Maharashtra, possesses invaluable experience navigating the challenging terrain of the hill station. With a family of four, given the rugged roads and uphill stretches, hand-pulled rickshaws demand significant effort.