Chennai
Hundreds of animals die of thirst as they fail to find water during summer. Stray animals are often drinking sewage water and there have been instances of birds falling through the sky because of dehydration. An initiative by People for Cattle in India (PFCI), called the ‘Water Bowl Challenge’, draws on basic human thoughtfulness asking home makers to place bowls of water outside their homes for animals and birds to access. It also hands out a unique challenge.
“Participants must take pictures of birds or animals drinking from the bowl that they have placed, upload it on Facebook and tag PFCI. They can send more than one entry. A jury will select the best pictures and winners will be given prizes. The winners will be announced on April 15,” says G Arun Prasanna, founder of PFCI.
The challenge that began on March 13 has garnered support from celebrities, like actor Karthi and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who did a special shoot to promote the cause. There are many other well-known personalities who have readily espoused the cause.
V Balakrishnan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mylapore, an ardent animal lover, bemoaned the manner in which people had disrupted the ecology and driven away wildlife. “I’d always spot deer at the Anna University premises and I’d wonder where these animals would go to find water in summer. As an experiment, I placed a bucket full of water outside my house and found it empty next morning,” he said.
He has been placing that bucket of water out every day ever since. Balakrishnan pointed out though that one had to be very careful while handling the bowls or vessels used by these animals as there were chances of diseases spreading through them. He suggested that the bowls be placed quite far away from where water for household consumption was stored.
Singer Ujjayinee, a cat lover, pointed that since most people in the city lived in apartments, it may be difficult to find a suitable spot for the bowl of water. She suggested that one could gift these bowls to those who could place it outside their houses. It’s a small step, but it can make a lot of difference. “Imagine every household in the city doing this. That will have a larger effect on the ecology,” said Ujjayinee.
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