Five summers ago, Mumbai-based Sarita Raturi found that as the temperatures soared in India, animals and birds ended up having no source of water at all. She started giving out sturdy cement water bowls to people, urging each of them to create an oasis in their neighbourhood that would save hundreds of lives. Today, her initiative, titled the Water Bowl Project, has spread to several cities such as Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. And in Chennai, the project is now in its fourth year running. Several NGOs and informal volunteer groups are putting out bowls in public spaces, and on terraces, and taking turns with residents in their community to keep them full.
Last year, the Blue Cross gave out nearly 1,500 bowls and plans to distribute roughly the same number this time around. “They’re made of cement, hold up to five litres of water and the paint on them is non-toxic,” says volunteer Karthik Dhandapani. “We plan to distribute them across the city and reach as many people as possible”.
“My mother always keeps a bowl of water on our terrace,” says Beenu, a HR professional who now uses the bowls provided by Blue Cross volunteers for this purpose. Beenu keeps two bowls in her locality and one en route to her office in Tidel Park and has enlisted the help of auto drivers in the area to refill the bowls regularly. “The water lasts a day or two, and I wash the bowls once a week,” says Beenu. “It’s not just cats and dogs - I’ve seen birds and squirrels drink from them, and even a cow and her calf in my area use it.”
As the movement gathers steam, Sarita, who’s a managing committee member of In Defense of Animals, Mumbai, hopes that the bowls will become a year-round phenomenon, as all life needs water across the seasons. “Water is a daily requirement for animals, just like it is for humans, so it’s not just for summer but a continuous project,” she says, reporting proudly that there are over 5,000 bowls in Mumbai currently in use.
To pick up a free cement bowl in Chennai, drop in at the Blue Cross shelter at 72, Velachery Main Road, Guindy. Home delivery is available at a charge of Rs. 50 per bowl – to avail of this option, register with your contact information at www.bluecrossofindia.org.
