Karnataka: Water for the winged and the wild

For the past three summers, Kannika is greeted by an unusual yet delightful sight in the backyard of her house in Dakshina Kannada’s Bantwal—majestic peacocks and other birds stopping by to quench their thirst and peck at grains.

The initiative, she says, is inspired by her school. “Our school encouraged us to set up eco-friendly bird feeders outside our homes during summers,” says Kannika, who completed her SSLC at Carmel High School, Modankap in Bantwal.

Under the guidance of their school’s science teacher and Eco Club mentor Roshan Pinto, the school has, for the past six years, been actively promoting the installation of eco-friendly water units and feeders at school and at students’ homes as part of its ‘Chinv Chinv’ initiative. This year alone, 136 students from Class 8th to 10th prepared 345 feeders using naturally available coconut shells and husks, placing them in shaded areas across the campus and in their homes.

To encourage students’ interest in setting up feeders, they conducted a photography contest as part of which students captured images of birds drinking water from the feeders. Winners were given earthen pots.

“We encourage students to prepare the bird feeders using eco-friendly materials instead of plastic containers to keep them grounded to nature. Even students are excited to engage in group activities of preparing the feeders and hanging them on the trees and ensuring availability of water in it during school hours,” says Pinto.

Kannika’s efforts have also inspired her family. “Motivated by what I started, my father has placed a similar feeder at his shop in Bantwal,” she says. At home, she has set up two water feeders and regularly scatters grains on the ground so birds can feed without fear.

Her backyard has now become a small haven for birds. “A pair of red-whiskered bulbul has even built a nest near the clothesline this year. I feel thrilled watching them,” she adds.

During summer vacations, Pinto continues to visit the school twice a week to refill the feeders. His home in Bantwal, too, has become a hotspot for birds and occasionally even snakes. “Around 12 to 13 peacocks visit my house daily to drink water and feed on the bajra I scatter,” he says.

Appreciating the effort, headmistress Sister Veera said involving students in providing water for birds helps nurture humanitarian values and a sense of social responsibility. Schools and parents should encourage children to participate in such initiatives.

Feeding through forest troughs

While students are helping birds in urban and semi-urban spaces, a group of environmentalists and enthusiasts from Mangaluru is addressing a larger crisis unfolding in nearby forests—water scarcity for wildlife. The National Environment Care Federation (NECF), a collective of eco-conscious citizens hailing from diverse professions and age groups, has been working to support wildlife during peak summer by constructing water troughs along forest fringes.

“We noticed that as water sources inside forests dry up, animals begin venturing into nearby villages and farmlands in search of water. To address this, the group began building concrete water troughs in strategic locations on village outskirts close to the forests. The idea was first implemented in 2020 at Amparu near Siddapur in Udupi district,” says Shashidhar Shetty, secretary of NECF.

Slowly paw and hoof marks began forming varied patterns on the ground around these water points hinting at the many lives that sustained. As more animals began consuming the water, NECF began installing more such troughs and until now, they have installed eight such troughs in Ottinene Gudda, Thondhle, Maddodi, Saminakodlu and other places. “At Saminakodlu, a pipeline from my house feeds water into the trough,” he says.

Each trough about five feet wide and 16 inches deep, is replenished using water tankers once every 15 days. One tanker can fill five such units and the volunteers monitor the entire process. Each large trough costs around Rs 20,000, while smaller ones can be built for Rs 7,000–Rs 8,000. Initially, NECF members bore the costs of construction and maintenance. Now, they are planning to collaborate with local organisations to ensure better monitoring and sustainability.

The locations for the troughs are selected based on wildlife movement patterns, with areas frequented by deer, wild boar, leopards, foxes, peacocks and rabbits given priority. Over time, these troughs have also become vibrant micro-habitats. Birds gather for a dip during the day, while cattle quench their thirst before heading home after grazing. Now, NECF plans to install cameras to document wildlife activity near these water points and aims to build 10 more troughs.

The members are also concerned about illegal extraction of water from forest streams and springs, which according to them is causing water shortage in forests. They have urged Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre to check such practices.