Navi Mumbai's stray saviours

A self-trained chef and digital media consultant, Utpal Khot has been feeding strays in Navi Mumbai and Kharghar for the past 13 years. "It began as a small effort in 2007 when I started feeding around seven dogs in our housing society. Today, we feed over 200 strays on a daily basis. Back then, the population of dogs was high in the area as the dogs were not neutered and sterilised. We started implementing the ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme, and the population is now under control," says the 47-year-old who started a registered NGO called Being the Real Human Foundation in 2017 that looks after animals and senior citizens. During the lockdown, Khot and his team feed 500 dogs once a day. "We have taken permission from the Panvel city municipal corporation till May 3, which we will extend if the lockdown continues. My wife Prita and I have studied the WHO directives and follow the precautions and steps to ensure we are not putting anyone at risk. With five more volunteers, we individually divide the area among us. I leave at 7 am and cover the eastern region, and then from 3.30 pm to 6 pm I cover the north, west and south," says Khot. Their expenditure of R1,800 per day is taken care of via donations and personal funding.