Mumbai: Heavy rains fail to stop delivery agents

A delivery agent geared in a rain jacket and pants.

EVEN AS heavy rains continued to lash the Mumbai Metropolitan Region on Tuesday, an army of delivery agents braved the bad weather to bring warm food, groceries, gifts, clothes, shoes and other items to the doorstep of Mumbaikars. Geared in a rain jacket and pants, a waterproof cover wrapped over his delivery bag and an umbrella in hand, 30-year-old Anjan Senapati, a delivery agent with Swiggy, was out for delivery on his two-wheeler in the Fort area of south Mumbai by 11 am. “It is very important to cover your head well. If you don’t, you will fall sick. I learnt that last year,” said Senapati.

“The number of orders are higher during the rains as many people order in and we also get paid extra money for working during the rains. So I get to earn slightly more on rainy days,” he said. He claims to make 10-12 deliveries on a good day and on rainy days there are at least 20 orders to be delivered. He gets paid Rs 40 for every delivery and if it is raining, there is a Rs 20 incentive per order.

“Delivering a pizza, cake, soup or anything that can spill is a tough task, especially because the roads are bad and visibility is low. That’s the greatest challenge,” said Omkar Kailash Bhaye, a 23-year-old Scootsy delivery agent, who had just completed a delivery from Grant Road to Lower Parel. “Mostly people are nice and they are happy to see us. That’s a nice feeling. Some even appreciate our effort,” he said.

When Hitesh Bali, a 30-year-old freelance writer, ordered parathas in Andheri, he was surprised at the quick delivery. “It was pouring outside, the delivery agent was soaking wet but the food was warm. What the delivery agents are doing is incredible,” he said. Diva resident Surendra Mundalik had to leave early for work as local train services were running late. By 11 am, the Myntra delivery agent was at Nariman Point delivering his first package of the day.