Among victims of the nationwide lockdown which doomed the tourism industry – were horses used for joy rides in tourist spots like Matheran and Alibaug. While NGOs and locals are helping them, with the lockdown extended – funds are drying up.
The feed of as many as 328 horses and ponies in Alibaug and nearby tourist spots of Murud and Kashid are currently being taken care of by NGO Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD). The organization has been involved in sterilization programs and on-the-spot medical treatment for community dogs in Alibaug and was approached by the local administration to help the large animals.
“With the lockdown, the tourism stopped, and owners didn’t have the money, nor the logistics to provide food for their animals,” says Rekha Dixit, who handles Alibaug project of WSD. Some of the horses are also used for weddings.
For one horse per day the organization spends Rs. 75-80. WSD also made a temporary shed for the animals when they found many of them tied in the hot sun in open fields and some in dumping grounds “with not a leaf over their head” as Dixit says.
Meanwhile, 150 horses in Palghar and Thane found a good Samaritan in Shakuntala Majumdar of Thane Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA). After the lockdown, district borders were sealed and TSPCA was approached by horse owners and the animal husbandry department. The NGO is trying to raise funds and with an essential service pass, takes fodder from Thane to Palghar.
“We are against making animals work – the way such animals are treated. But at this point, there is no option. Their owners had absolutely no earning and we cannot allow the animals to die,” says Majumdar.
These horses are mostly used for joy rides in Arnala and Kelve beaches in Palghar district and Talao Pali in Thane. In Kalyan-Dombivli, they are used as a shuttle service.
“These horses are not licensed. We have been trying to get them registered since 2010,” says Majumdar.
In another popular tourist spot - Matheran there are as many as 460 registered horses – it being an eco-sensitive zone where motor vehicles are not allowed. NGOs from Mumbai, Pune, members of Amateur Riders club and donation drives by the word-of-mouth by locals like Prasham Divadkar are now taking care of their food needs.
“April and May are the business-making months, so we knew that local horse owners of Matheran were in trouble,” says Divadkar, a horse-riding enthusiast, who grew up in Matheran.
Says animal supporter Divya Chaudhry, “With the lockdown extended and the monsoons expected soon, the loss of earnings have worsened the situation for these helpless and voiceless beings. Activists are going through an emotional and physical breakdown while they try their best to help.”
