Saddened to lose their favourite pani-puriwala to Covid-19, people from south Mumbai have joined hands to collect money and help his family, through a crowd-funding platform, raising over Rs 2.50 lakh so far, with a target of Rs 5 lakh. Bhagvati Yadav, who ran a small pani-puri stall at the Rungta Lane near the posh Napean Sea Road, travelled from his tiny home in Mata Parvati Nagar at nearby Walkeshwar daily since the past nearly 46 years.

Known for his lipsmacking pani-puris, one of Mumbai's favourite street snacks, Yadav was a stickler for cleanliness who used only bottled mineral water, earning him the nickname of 'Bisleri Panipuriwala'. "He was very popular in the area. We have all been savouring his pani-puris and other snacks since years," said a resident Girish Agarwal, who launched the crowd-funding drive to Yadav's family comprising wife and a daughter who is a Maths teacher. "So far, there are contributions of around Rs 2.53 lakh from some 125 plus of his patrons in India and abroad, on the platform, www.ketto.org fundraiser for the panipuriwala," Agarwal told IANS.