Water bowl initiative comes to town

It looks like namma Coimbatore loves it animals, indeed. The latest example on that front is the initiative,

Water for Voiceless

, which is all set to be launched in the city today. It involves facilitating the distribution of water bowls to animal lovers across the city. The objective is to help

animals

and

birds

quench their thirst as the mercury soars by the day.

Reena Kothari

, who is bringing the initiative to the city, tells us, “Water for Voiceless was first launched in Tumakuru by my brother Sunny Jain where he helped many animals beat the heat. He installed water bowls across the city through a team of volunteers who in turn distributed them to animal lovers.” The initiative was later launched in Belagavi, Huballi and Chennai as well.

“In Coimbatore, we will kick-start the initiative with 50-60 pots at Teeming Turtles, a toddler center in Saibaba Colony today. Those who want to be a part of the initiative, all they need to do is sign a form online and fill in their details. Once they do that, they can search for our volunteers at the nearest locations from where they can pick up the pots. After they place the pot at a particular location, they need to share the details with the rest of the group. They are responsible for the pot, filling water, its maintenance. They have to keep it at an accessible place for birds/animals and take reasonable care to keep it safe, clean and filled with water in a shaded place. Volunteers need to ensure that their pots are clean and that there is no algae formation. We have already received requests from over hundred volunteers. We have asked them to share photographs of the pots.” The pots are available at Saibaba Colony, Town Hall, Sulur, Neelambur and Singanallur.

Reena believes that the initiative will also make volunteers feed stray animals. “Summer is a tough time for animals and they get dehydrated fast. When people start placing a pot filled with water outside, there is a high possibility that they may keep some food as well. The pots are made of cement as they last longer. Plastic pots not only get broken, but also face the risk of being stolen by people. We have two types of cement pots- a big one for animals that can be kept in front of the houses or offices and a smaller one for birds. The pots are priced nominally- Rs 100 for a big one and 50 for a small one.”

So, will the initiative spill over to the rest of the seasons as well? “The pots will be around throughout the city across the year. It’s just that in

summer

, it requires more maintenance. Anyone who takes the pot is responsible for its upkeep.”