They race against time to ensure that you get your daily dose of news early in the morning along with your Cuppa. A majority of the paper-boys, engaged in door delivery of newspapers across the district, are teenagers who are students from Class X to degree.
Ever since the COVID-19 scare began, the boys have only intensified their speed, and are delivering the newspaper at dawn much to the surprise of the readers, before they could get up from their beds.
Thanks to the deserted highways, newspaper agents receive the vehicles carrying the publications earlier than before. The paper-boys are despatched in no time to ensure the newspaper reaches the readers before sunrise.
Guna Sekhar, 18, who delivers 160 newspapers to households in four streets in Kongareddipalle locality in Chittoor, said that before the COVID-19 scare, he used to take three hours for delivering the copies, but now he accomplishes his task in two hours. “Post-Janata Curfew days, we find the roads and streets completely deserted. This has made our job more focussed on the targets. Earlier, we used to find people in many houses asleep even at 7 a.m.. Now, we see lights on at 5 a.m. As and when we drop the paper inside the compounds, the elderly rush out ot collect it,” he said.
“I am delighted at the speed I have been moving since a week. Now, the parcels are coming early and I too find it a new experience to start early. People are looking at us with admiration for the first time. Finishing my job much early, I retire into confinement for studies,” said Jagdeesh, 15, awaiting his class X examination. He delivers 138 copies in Santhapeta locality.
The boys termed as “unfounded” observations that newspapers could transmit the deadly coronavirus. “Right from the start of the scare in January, none of us in the whole nation has reported to have contracted the virus. We are not even wearing masks. Just like police, doctors and journalists, our job is also unique, more recognised now,” said Velu, 18, a degree II year student, at Nagari.
Several elderly persons who regularly prefer to purchase newspapers after a morning walk have now switched to door delivery. “Scanning a newspaper is my habit since five decades. I have been more active in this since March due to the world pandemic. I am totally free from any sneezing or cough. Moreover, I am thrilled with the pleasant odour of sanitised papers,” said Subramanyam, 70, a resident of temple zone at Srikalahasti, who works at a cycle shop,
