Residents pick up bowls of care for Chennai’s thirsty animals and birds – Times of India

CHENNAI: Every summer, H Manasa Prabhakar picks up two water bowls from the Blue Cross of India (BCI). While one is kept on the terrace, the other is placed outside her apartment building in T Nagar. And this year has been no exception.
“There are plenty of stray dogs and cows in the street so they get clean water to drink. And even the bowl on the terrace has to be constantly refilled as plenty of birds come for water,” says Manasa, who ensures that the bowls are cleaned and refilled regularly.
“Once I saw what a difference it makes to animals and birds around me, I decided to do it regularly.”
Every summer, thousands of homeless animals die due to dehydration and diseases caused by drinking polluted water from gutters. It’s to help these animals that the Water Bowl Project was born. With the mercury shooting up, animal welfare organisations in the city have already begun distributing water bowls.
“Every year, BCI distributes about 1,500 water bowls. This year, we have already given out around 600 bowls,” says Vinod Kumar, general manager (admin), BCI.
“Many people place it in front of their homes or on common places on the street. We advise them to clean it regularly and replenish it with fresh water so it doesn’t become a health hazard.”
BCI also requests people to upload photos of animals and birds drinking from these bowls to inspire other people to do the same. “If bowls are ordered in large numbers, we make arrangements to deliver it but otherwise we request people to pick it up from our shelter,” says Vinod. “The bowls cost us Rs 130 each, so we request people to donate whatever they can.”
People for Cattle in India (PFCI), which has been distributing water bowls since 2014, will begin distributing the bowls from the end of April.
“Every year we distribute at least 500 water bowls. In 2021, we distributed 1,500 water bowls. We intend to distribute 2,000 bowls this year,” says G Arun Prasanna, founder and secretary, PFCI. “People can pick them up from locations in T Nagar and Vadapalani.”