‘Helping Hands’ feed hungry stray dogs, birds

250 rotis, 35 pack biscuits, 300 kg food grains fed daily

Mysore/Mysuru: Helping Hands, a Jain youth organisation in Mysuru, which has been feeding thousands of pigeons and crows in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple at the North Gate of Mysore Palace, is now on a mission to feed stray dogs and birds around the Mysore Palace.

“The lockdown has affected all of us but has a big impact on stray animals and birds as they have no means of feeding themselves as all restaurants, roadside eateries, markets — where they had easy access to food — are closed. The stray dogs and birds are starving and will die in such a scenario,” said Helping Hands President Mahaveer Khabiya.

He said that the members of Helping Hands are feeding dogs, crows and pigeons daily with rotis, biscuits and food grains. He added that the rotis are made from the same wheat flour that is consumed by humans. The members bring more than 250 rotis and feed strays and bring about 300 kg of food grains to feed the pigeons every day.

Their daily feeding routine begins at 5.45 am, Mahaveer said adding that before feeding, the place is cleaned and then the food grains to pigeons, rotis and biscuits for stray dogs are fed besides placing a tub of drinking water for them. The rotis are made at homes and at each home, over 20 rotis are made and pooled in. Daily, the distribution goes on till 7.30 am.

The members are accompanied by their President Mahaveer Khabiya, Secretary Anand Patwa, Treasurer Rajan Baghmar, Manohar Sankla, Jambu Lodha, Pavan Sancheti, Adesh Lodha, Goutham Gandhi and others.

Badavara Bandhu Charitable Trust

Badavara Bandhu Charitable Trust, through its Roti Bank project, is distributing 500 food packets to the needy in city daily.

Trustee Budhmal Baghmar said that ever since the lockdown was imposed, Roti Bank is distributing 500 food packets to the poor and needy and added that the food packets are being distributed at Gandhinagar, B.M. Sri Nagar, Kyathamaranahalli, Medar Block, Bamboo Bazar, J.P. Nagar, Hinkal and other areas. 

He said that though there are Roti Bank booths, distribution of food at the booth has been stopped as it would lead to a large crowd. As social distancing cannot be maintained at the Roti Bank booth, food packets are taken to various areas and distributed among the poor and the needy.

Under the leadership of Trustees Budhmal Baghmar, Prasanraj Surana, Subhashchand Dhoka, Munnalal Sethiya and Goutham Bafna, members Ramesh Ranka, Padamchand Sancheti, Dinesh Ranka, Subhash Darada, Hitesh Makana, Goutham Patva, Deepak Bantia and Ashish Khabiya are distributing food packets by dividing themselves into groups in various localities.