Bengaluru: In a heart-moving initiative, a set of kind-hearted auto rickshaw drivers have started a pigeon project in the Garden City. Public can walk down Brigade Road to experience the glimpse of the beautiful pigeon park.
Syed, an auto rickshaw driver, goes with a sack full of gram or grains every morning to the enclosure spot, blocked by police barricades. He opens the bag, takes handful of seeds and tosses it to the ground. Within minutes, a huge flock of pigeons appears from nowhere. For the next few hours, the place is full of birds, feeding on the grams.
While the cars and mobs zoom around the busy crowded street, the birds feed on the grams provided by the loving auto drivers. These drivers have made home for more than 100 pigeons at the Jai Karnataka auto stand, right on MG Road. At around 8 am and 4 pm, pigeons and birds land towards the enclosure waiting to grab the grains and gram provided by the caretakers. Drivers take turns to feed these birds. Few birds that are named respond, while others respond by the whistles and tones.
It all began in the year 2005, when traffic was banned on MG Road due to metro rail work. The erected rail work has now provided space for many birds including pigeon and parrots. These auto drivers start their day by feeding these delicate birds. It was then, that a set of drivers decided to create a permanent space for the birds beside their auto rickshaw stand.
Over 15 auto drivers from the stand approached Bengaluru Traffic police to seek permission for the enclosure to protect these birds. The unusual request, especially at such a busy stretch after the complication of the rail line was fulfilled. The place was isolated with six barricades in a way that the pedestrians can see the birds feed on the grains. It’s a fest of bird sight for many of the kids and elders walking down the street of MG Road.
Drivers take turns to get fruits and grains for the birds. “The pigeons are fed twice a day and it’s nice to have the company of these birds. They have become a part of our lives. Our day begins and ends only with the sight of these birds and feeding them. It’s so relaxing to spend time with them,” says Syed, the auto driver.
“The sizes of the pigeons are big and the number is increasing day by day. The familiarity with these birds can help us spot a few of them when addressed by name,” says Yaseem.
The efforts of these auto drivers have seemingly made a safe place for many of the birds. With the shrinking open space and environmental defects in the city, many of the birds have already migrated.
“Many of us have the habit of keeping pets in cage. The efforts of these people can make a great difference. It’s nice to provide space to these birds and watch them fly around us,” said a pedestrian.
