28 March,2020 07:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Anurag Kamble
Farooq Sheikh distributed foodgrains to the tribal village in Neral on Friday evening
A BMC employee from the Solid Waste Management ( SWM) department has joined hands with an NGO to help tribals in Neral with food packets. The tribals are daily wage workers and flower- sellers. Each food packet will help a family survive for 15 days.
Farooq Sheikh has been working in the BMC's G North ward for the past 29 years. At his second home in Neral, he noticed that the tribal pada ( village) fears hunger amid the nation- wide lockdown.
" The main source of income for these tribals is sale of tuberose, flowers and different leaves. The men are either daily wage workers or auto drivers. Many of the households run on an income of R 150 to R 300 per day, if work is well," said Sheikh.
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He contacted many NGOs and Hyderabad- based Donatekart and Goodwill Rashmi Foundation came forward.
"There are around 1,000 families at Bhadwal, Damat, Mamdapur in Neral. I am targetting those that have trouble getting food. Food packets will be distributed on Friday evening," he said.
The packets include rice, daal, oil, sugar, salt and basic spices. "Currently, even salaried class is facing troubles. Everyone should feed at least one family; we should fight this pandemic together," Sheikh said.
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