Institutional premises have become an area of challenge for small fauna, in terms of availability of drinking water. Peacocks, rabbits and various other birds and animals outside the reserve forests are learnt to be dying due to heat wave and thirst.
Walkers of the Osmania University campus have taken a small initiative of providing drinking water to peafowl and other birds, after finding a few dead birds on their walking track. “Day before yesterday, we found a dead peacock without any visible injury. We informed the police, who took the bird away,” K.Bhavani Sankar, a regular walker, said. There may be more birds dying deep inside, he says, and adds that rabbits, which were so often spotted on the campus earlier, have become scarce now, probably owing to shortage of water. “The next day after the peacock died, we found small clay saucers provided by some Good Samaritan. We are now bringing water in small bottles and emptying them into the saucers,” Mr.Bhavani Sankar said.
Ratnakar, another good soul, brought five-litre water cans for two consecutive days and emptied them in the hollow of a stone. “One tanker will suffice for a whole week. The bottles brought by us will not match the requirement. OU authorities should take the matter into their hands,” he says. However, OU Estate Officer Devi Priya says it is not the dept's responsibility to provide water, and that she agreed to do it on Mr. Ratnakar’s offer. Forest officials cite shortage of staff and means to tackle the situation.
