Growing population, increase in the number of cars, pollution and rapidly changing weather — Patna no doubt has progressed in the last few years. But sadly, it has become a nightmare for birds. Last year, nearly 500 pigeons died in Bihar due to pollution and reckless attitude of people. In such a scenario, Md Hanif and his son Md Asim are probably two kind-hearted souls, who have taken it upon themselves to lend these birds a safe environment.Md Hanif, a 90-year-old fruit seller, forged a unique bond with birds on his trip to Mecca . Once he returned home, he started building safe abodes for birds, with help of his son, in and around Chiriyat Bridge, where he used to sell fruits. Now you can find more than 25 man-made nests, where hundreds of birds come looking for shade. When quizzed, Md Asim said, “Earlier, birds used to come and rest at our stall. We used to give them food and water. But once we closed the shop in the evening, they’d fly away. At times, these birds would get electrocuted. We felt terrible. And that’s why my father and I started building cardboard nests.”In 2006, Md Hanif started building artificial nests with cartons. Sounds simple? But it was not that easy. When the fatherson duo hung the nests around the bridge, municipality workers took them off in the name of cleanliness. “We had requested them so many times not to disturb the arrangement, but they wouldn’t listen. So, we’d keep building nests and they’d take them off again. It was a big struggle,” said Md Asim.Initially, birds wouldn’t come to stay in the nests. It took them some time to understand they were safe. “In some of the nests, there were bird eggs and a few birds who were about to lay eggs. It was very painful for us to see them cry at their loss. It made us more determined and we put the nests back again,” he added.Although animals and birds don’t understand our language, they do understand the language of love. “My father is 90. So, he can’t come to the shop often due to his deteriorating health. But whenever he drops by, these birds greet him with a loud chirp. Initially, we didn’t understand. But now we know it’s their way of welcoming abba,” Md Asim signed off with a smile— Sweta Bharti

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