Group steps in to feed the poor and monkeys in Karimnagar

HYDERABAD: With the lockdown period extended, an aircraft maintenance engineer-turned-wholesale onion dealer Bhavin Bhalodi (29) and his group of friends got themselves full time into distribution of food to the poor and needy people in Karimnagar town. The group has also fed 2,000 bananas to hungry monkeys at Kondagattu temple.
Bhavin started distributing biscuits when he first saw a group of hungry people.It was then he got to know that they were going without food at night as food distribution was taking place only during afternoon.
For the last 20 days or so, the group has been providing packed food to the needy and migrants in the afternoon and night as well. Since another NGO ‘Spandana’ was also providing food to needy, they coordinated with it so that there is no wastage of food.
Once the food is prepared, the group of friends pack them and distribute them. So far, 8,000 food packets have been distributed by the group of friends — Parandham Sunke, Shashi Garimela, Kalyan, Raju Thatikonda, Mahinder, Masam Ganesh and Chandu Akula. “We are grateful to Karimnagar police who are facilitating our efforts to provide food and essentials to the poor,” Bhavin said. Karimnagar commissioner of police VB Kamalasan Reddy and additional DCP Chandra Mohan lauded the group’s work and organised police driver Amjed to take a jeep and pick up the volunteers and food for distribution.
Bhavin was also behind the ‘Clean Karimnagar’ initiative wherein like-minded people and volunteers undertook cleaning of the Manair dam. This activity took 177 days. With the entire focus being on helping the migrants and poor, Bhavin’s group wants to help as many people as it can.