Bidar youth turn lifeline for thirsty wildlife

Bidar: Youths in Bidar have stepped in to provide water in forest areas to help quench the thirst of wild animals and birds this summer.Members of Swabhimani Geleyara Balaga have placed water containers at various locations across forests in the district, including Nagora, Chidri, Shahapur, and Nirna. The initiative is aimed at helping animals and birds survive the harsh summer conditions.The group has installed cement concrete containers, each with a capacity of 120 litres, at several points inside the forests using money from their own pockets. These containers are aiding wild animals such as monkeys, langurs, peacocks, and other forest species in quenching their thirst. It has been a month since the arrangements were put in place.Speaking to TOI, Chandrashekhar Padashetty, president of the Balaga, said that each container is now filled once every three days. "At the beginning of summer, we used to fill the containers once a week. As temperatures crossed 40 degrees Celsius, the water started getting exhausted within three days. To prevent rapid drying and to keep the water cooler, we have partially covered half of each container," he said. "Our Balaga has been undertaking this work every year," he added.Balaga members said that years ago, they frequently read reports about langurs entering villages in search of water due to the lack of water sources in forests. "Animals cannot express their thirst—it is something humans have to understand. That is when we decided to maintain water containers in the forests of Bidar district," they said.They further stated that the containers are buried partially to prevent damage and improve durability. "We clean the containers every time before refilling them, which we do once every three days. We have a committee of about 200 members, including private employees, teachers, businessmen, and agriculturists—people from all sections of society," they added.