The crisis around the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders is now having a direct impact on the 150-year-old Dabbawala system—an institution synonymous with Mumbai, the country’s financial capital.
In the early morning hours—spanning the stretch from Churchgate to Dadar and Bandra—where Dabbawalas clad in their signature white ‘Gandhi caps’ were once a common sight, delivering thousands of tiffins on bicycles and local trains without stopping to even breathe, their pace has now visibly slowed down in many areas.
According to the Dabbawalas, this crisis has hit hardest those customers who relied on community kitchens (messes) or small-scale food providers for their meals.
With the disruption in gas cylinder supplies forcing the closure of numerous messes, the tiffin delivery service has inevitably suffered.
Kiran Gavande, General Secretary of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association reflects on the present crisis, saying, “Due to the shortage of gas cylinders, our customer base has dwindled significantly. While we previously handled thousands of tiffins daily, there has now been a drastic decline in those numbers. This has had a direct and immediate impact on our income.”
The organization’s president, Ulhas Muqe, echoed, “The Dabbawala system has been operating continuously for the past 150 years; however, a gas supply issue of this nature has impacted our operations at this scale for the very first time,” adding, “With the closure of numerous messes, the volume of tiffin deliveries has declined significantly. Moreover, the income of the Dabbawalas has nearly halved. If this situation persists, we will face a severe struggle to sustain our livelihoods in the days to come.”
IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS
Chetan Khairani, who has been availing the tiffin service for three years, explains, “We have been ordering tiffins through the Dabbawalas for the last three years. However, due to the closure of the messes, we are now compelled to make our own food arrangements for our office staff. This has resulted in an increase in both our expenses and our difficulties.”
THE PLIGHT OF MESS OPERATORS
Navnath Pashankar, a tiffin service provider, said the shortage of gas cylinders has made it very difficult to run his kitchen. Earlier, meals were prepared for around 100–125 people daily, but operations have now been reduced to serving only about 40 customers due to the constraints.
DABBAWALA’S INCOME HALVED
The stark reality on the ground is that, owing to the decline in the number of tiffin deliveries, the earnings of the Dabbawalas have been reduced by nearly half. This system—renowned globally for its punctuality and precision—is now grappling with a severe shortage of resources.
WHEN WILL THE SITUATION IMPROVE?
The Dabbawala organisation and the mess operators are demanding that the supply of gas cylinders be normalised as soon as possible, so that this historic service may once again regain its former momentum.
For the time being, this dependable system—an integral part of the daily routine for millions of Mumbaikars—is navigating through a period of grave crisis.
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