Twin-cities residents pick bowls of care for thirsty birds

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad
Every Ramazan brings some positive changes in society and people’s approach and this year Ramaza has brought too as the residents of twine-cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have picked up water bowls at the roof-tops of their houses for thirsty birds and other species.
There are plenty of birds in the twin cities so they get clean water and food with this positive approach of the residents of twin cities. And even the bowls outside offices are also found.

This year Ramazan has made residents of the twin cities realize the pinch of hunger and thirst felt by birds as many have kept pots filled with water at their respective houses, and offices.
Irfan Shahid, a resident of Islamabad, said Ramazan teaches us to be kind and empathetic. Shahid has installed more than a dozen pots filled with water and grains in his street in Sector G-9.

“I got this idea when I saw a flock of thirsty sparrows with their beaks open and eyes searching for a water source. I was fasting and thirsty, too. I felt their pain and decided to install water pots for them. This act encouraged my neighbours and they too started filling water pots at their houses,” he said.
This empathy into us was developed by Ramazan, said Iftikhar Ahmed, another resident of the capital city. He said fasting in this holy month enables us to feel the hunger and thirst of others. Similarly, Fiaz Khan, a resident of Dhoke Hasu, bought dozens of clay pots and distributed them among his neighbours for this holy purpose.

Khan asked them to install the pots at their houses and keep them filled with water and any kind of bird-feed. “I am also planning to launch a campaign on social media to urge people to hang clay pots in areas with water scarcity so that the birds could quench their thirst from these water pots,” he said.
Every summer, thousands of birds die due to dehydration and diseases caused by drinking polluted water from gutters and sewerage lines.

The risk of more deaths and diseases has increased by global warming and extreme weather patterns in Pakistan as the mercury shoots up, leaving birds and other animals’ lives at risk.
Pakistan is included in the list of top ten countries in the world which are most affected by climate change. The country has experienced extreme weather patterns in the last few years and according to the climate change experts, the risk of climate change can bring severe damages to the national economy, food security and infrastructure.