Starving strays in mass migration into Hyderabad

Hyderabad: In contrast to thousands of outbound migrant labour from the city for their native places either in TS or elsewhere, there is altogether different sort of inbound mass migration. City-based NGOs, citizens concerned with animal welfare have banded together with the Telangana State Animal Welfare Board (TSAWB) to deal with this unique problem.

"There are notable observations of street dogs mass migrating inward into the city. This is in search of food and human companions," said TSAWB member Swamy Swayam Bhagwan Das. This is because all food-generating centres which street dogs, cats and the like hang about are shuttered due to the lockdown situation. To handle this inward migration, he said the only way out was to gear up to provide to feed in their very habitats.

Citing a measure taken by the Odisha government to tackle a similar situation unfolding in several cities and urban local bodies, the TSAWB member said, "It is not only important to save animals from hunger but also to prevent mass migration. Such migration may create havoc between the migrants strays and the resident dogs at various places. It may in turn lead to spread of rabies, too."

Against this backdrop, a request was made to the TSAWB to support the animal welfare organisations and activists in providing cooked food to the street dogs. With the TSAWB extending its support, street dogs are being provided with nutrient ingredients in the cooked food with moong dal, soya milk, with ghee added. That apart, rice, soya and dal are being supplied to animal lovers across twin cities to take up feeding activities in their respective localities to save the hapless animals.

Volunteers feeding the street dogs are asked to carry out their activities by strictly following the COVID-19 health advisories and observing the social distancing norms of lockdown.

The activities are being monitored and supported by NSA Animal Sanctuary and an animal welfare group AASRA for preparing food and distributing the same to volunteers.

The Blue Cross of Hyderabad has also joined the efforts and taking up distribution of groceries and pedigree to the feeders to stabilise the feeding activities till the end of lockdown.