The employees and officers of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) have launched a food distribution facility for stray dogs and cattle that were dependent on roadside eateries for food and had to go hungry on most days since the lockdown.

The facility has been launched in all the 55 wards of Dhanbad covering the five circles: Dhanbad, Jharia, Sindri, Katras and Chhatatand.

A team of four health supervisors have been assigned with the task of preparing and distributing food including, roti, jaggery and animal feed provided by the animal husbandry department.

Municipal commissioner Chandramohan Kashyap, who was present at the launch of the facility at the DMC headquarters on Luby Circular Road on Wednesday, said: “The corporation has a large area under its jurisdiction and we were feeling bad for stray animals.”

Kashyap said it was a personal initiative of the DMC team and the corporation’s fund was not being used for the purpose. “We have contributed individually for the project,” Kashyap said.

DMC city manager Md Anis, who is looking after the street food distribution project, said: “The executive officers of each of the five circles will supervise food preparation and distribution. We will also engage women self-help groups working in different wards for preparing the food. A team of four persons will distribute the food among the stray animals. The health supervisor will oversee the distribution.”

Councillor of Ward 20 Ashok Pal said though several persons had been feeding the strays in his ward, institutionalising the activity would help fill the gap between individual efforts and the huge requirements to feed the stray animals.