Dabbawalas in Mumbai deliver home-cooked meals to workers

Mumbai is a big city in India. Many workers live there. For more than 100 years, special workers helped these people. These workers are called dabbawalas. They do an important job.

A dabbawala carries lunch boxes. He takes food from homes. He delivers the boxes to offices. Workers eat lunch from these boxes. The food is hot and home-cooked. This is good food. Many people love dabbawalas.

But now things are changing. Many people work from home now. They do not go to offices. They do not need lunch boxes. Companies give food to office workers. These changes are big problems for dabbawalas.

Money is also a problem. The costs are going up. Buses cost more. Trains cost more. Food costs more. Dabbawalas make less money now. Life is harder for them.

Young people do not want this job. They want different jobs. They want to use computers. They want better pay. The old dabbawalas are getting older. They will retire soon. But no young people are starting this job.

Dabbawalas are important to Mumbai. They feed millions of people. They work very hard every day. But this old tradition may disappear. This is sad for the city.

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.