Indore women drive e-rickshaws to help COVID-19 warriors to reach their workplaces

Contributing to the nation’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic, some women in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore are driving e-rickshaws to provide transport facilities to healthcare workers from their homes to their workplaces.

The District Health Department is providing the finances to provide pick and drop services during this time of the Coronavirus crisis. These women are receiving Rs 400 every day and free ration from the state government. The state administration has also given them sanitizers and masks to protect themselves safe from the deadly infection.

Notably, the former Kamal Nath government had given e-rickshaws to a hundred women in Indore last year. At present, only 21 are plying on the roads in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown.

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E-rickshaws commuters feel safe

One of the e-rickshaw drivers, Rekha Uike told ANI that she took up the work after her husband became lost his job due to the lockdown.

"After my husband became jobless, I started riding e-rickshaw to earn the livelihood. I am doing this after the administration has told me to help the health workers. I am providing pick and drop facility to these health workers from their respective homes," she said.

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A health worker named Alpana, who usually commutes by e-rickshaws said that this mode of transport makes her feel safe, also no other transport facility is available at present.

Dr Amit Malakar, Nodal Officer told ANI, "The workers who do not have their own vehicles, they are using e-rickshaws now. We are using 21 e-rickshaws and money is also provided to the drivers by the department."

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The number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh's worst-hit Indore district rose to 1681 and the death toll rose to 79 on Thursday, city's Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said. There are a total of 3,252 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh. The death toll stands at 193, the State Health Department said.

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(With inputs from agency)

(Representative image: PTI)