ADILABAD: In today’s fast-paced world, it’s rare to find people engaged in ground-level social service, especially those not broadcast across social media platforms for money and influence. However, this is what sets Jakulla Venkatesh, a resident of Boath, apart. His love for birds is not dependent on the likes on the latest social media post or on what someone’s ‘IG fam’ decides. As temperatures soar, he has been placing bowls of water in schools, temples, and other public places in and around the town for his feathered friends.
Speaking to TNIE, Venkatesh, who runs a pooja items store, laments the fading of old customs and traditions. “Living with animals and birds is part of our tradition,” he adds. He has spoken extensively on the importance of harmony in nature and the need for compassion towards other beings.
Asked about his inspiration, Venkatesh says he was moved by the death of a bird that collapsed outside his store during the summer season four years ago. Since then, he has been travelling to different parts of the mandal — between January and May — to raise awareness among students and the rural population. Additionally, he purchases bowls and places them on trees, terraces, and windowsills so that birds can quench their thirst.
Venkatesh says he observed natural sources of water like ponds and wells dry up in the summer while also noting the decrease in the avian population. “Birds are vulnerable to the scorching heat. With the sun beating down on their back, it takes a great deal of strength for birds to cover large distances in search of water,” he explains.
“For this, I started putting up deep earthen pots so that the birds can take a bath, which is vital for temperature regulation,” Venkatesh mentions.
In the past four years, he has conducted 1,000 awareness sessions and distributed earthen bowls to schools in Boath and across the erstwhile Adilabad district.
“I want to highlight the importance of birds in maintaining ecological balance and shed light on their struggles to find water, especially during the scorching summer months,” Venkatesh adds.