A bunch of professionals, doctors, research students and businessmen have started two community kitchens to feed stray animals.

The food cooked in the kitchens near Khanna cinema and in Behala is packed and picked up by team members, who distribute them in their areas, said Jignesh Thakkar, a businessman who is part of the group.

The menu alternates between khichdi and chicken and rice.

The volunteers connect through a WhatsApp group, which has as its members over 100 men and women from different walks of life.

A dog after being served food

“We are distributing the food during lunch and dinner hours. Most food shops that would give leftovers to the animals are shut and they are going hungry. We ensure that each one of our members wears gloves and masks and maintains social distancing while they are out on distribution runs,” Thakkar said.

Akash Gupta, who runs the kitchen in Behala that caters to Behala and parts of Joka, said: “We noticed that all the eateries in the area are closed and the animals are fighting among themselves for food.”

The group had started with individual contributions from members and is now exploring crowd-funding options.

Food packets are also being distributed among pavement dwellers, rickshaw-pullers, labourers, cooks and domestic help.