A farmer in India has been feeding birds for the past 17 years, according to The Better Indian website.
It all began when Harsukh Bhai met with an accident and fractured a leg. While recuperating, he used to spend some hours in the balcony and one day he hung some cobs of pearl millet gifted by a friend on the balcony for drying. The cobs attracted a parrot which fed on them and soon there were many more reaching his balcony looking for treats.
Harsukh, who lives in the province of Gujarat, says he was overjoyed by the constant increase of birds and adds: “On the second day there were two parrots, then three, then four and within a month there were around 100-150 parrots and sparrows visiting my balcony every day.”
As the number of visitors started increasing rapidly he felt there was not enough space in the balcony to feed the birds and fitted some old pipes, drilled holes in them and made a platform and fixed the pearl millet cobs on the stand.
The stand was expanded till it could hold about 3000 millet cobs.
Harsukh who quit school after fifth grade began to help their small family business and spends about Rs.1.5 lakh to 2 lakhs (about US$3100) a year to feed the birds and is happy with the way even his grandchildren enjoy his hobby.
His grandson, Kripal, says it takes a lot of time to clean the mess left by the birds but adds that it has become a part of his family’s passion. Harsukh’s family had to move out of the city to the outskirts in 2012 as the number of birds increased. He also set up a ecosystem around his village home to attract and feed the birds over a land spreading over four acres.
“In my old house, neighbours were disturbed by the constant chirping of birds. The millet cobs fell on the passersby and also bird droppings and the smell was a problem. The neighbours never complained but I thought the birds needed their own space,” says the farmer. In some parts of India of birds are on the verge of extinction due to various facts like the use of artificial fertilizers.
Apart from the parrots, every year his house plays host to more than 1,000 sparrows that hatch eggs. He ensures that the hatchlings are safe and protects them from predators until they are old enough to fly. During the monsoon season, the doors of his house are open to all kinds of birds to shelter from constant heavy showers. Harsukh commissions the farming of a variety of gourds, the husk of which is used for making nests for the sparrows. He helps people farming this gourd by distributing seeds free of cost.
Apart from being an ardent bird lover, Harsukh is an inventive farmer. He experiments with new types of crops and plants in his backyard. He developed a variety of potatos, growing on the surface of the earth, unlike the traditional variety that grows underground.
He has also curated a plant the leaves of which taste like garlic and contain many health properties. That discovery won him the prestigious Krishi Ratna award from the Gujarat provincial government.
“I believe that the blessings of these birds have always helped me to succeed in life. I think, taking care of birds and animals is a duty of us human beings” he added.
