Bhubaneswar: With lockdown having been extended till May 31 midnight, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will continue its noble work of feeding stray animals including street dogs and bulls. In the first phase of the lockdown it had started on May 7.
About 7.5 quintals of food is prepared daily at Saheed Nagar Veterinary Clinic campus for distribution in the morning and afternoon hours, while 3 quintals of cattle feed are distributed among stray bulls and cows across the city.
Of the canine food prepared under the supervision of veterinary experts at their Saheed Nagar facility, 5 quintals are distributed from 8 to 10 am and the rest between 4 and 6 pm. The cooked food for dogs has ingredients like rice, dal and chicken pieces.
In order to make food distribution process participatory and people-centric, organizations involved with animal welfare have also been roped in. With the food distribution for animals being zone-based, ‘People for Animal’ is working in South-East Zone, ‘Alap’ in North Zone and ‘Rehabitat Foundation’ in South-West Zone, respectively.
While the food quality for stray animals is checked by the experts at Sub-Divisional Veterinary Office of the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, BMC provides logistics for the transportation of the cooked food and cattle feed to the various zones concerned.
Stray animals in residential zones are fed by the people nearby during lockdown, but those roaming around markets and other public places have been facing a difficult time during the COVID pandemic. Thus, BMC’s effort to feed them till the end of lockdown has been welcomed by many citizens.
“The civic authorities are doing a good job by providing food to stray animals during lockdown. As responsible citizens we should also keep water vessels near our homes for stray animals during the summer months,’ Natabara Panda, a senior citizen from Jaydev Vihar area, observed.
Environmentalist Bijay Mishra of Nayapalli Nuasahi said: “On our own we should have water vessels on rooftops for birds. However, as a long-term plan the city should have small birds’ houses (Chidiya Ghar) at major squares and public spaces to facilitate food and water for the winged guests of our immediate neighborhoods.’’
The continuation of the process to feed stray animals since May 7 gained momentum following release of funds from the Housing and Urban Development Department on May 20 for 114 urban local bodies, including municipal corporations across Odisha.
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