Dania and Rida Khan, students of the Bombay Scottish School, are campaigning to save the horses of Matheran, a popular hill resort close to Mumbai, Maharashtra, who face starvation as their owners have lost their livelihood because of the Covid-19 pandemic

Dania, 12 and Rida Khan, 15, are sisters. Both of them have raised Rs 3 lakhs through crowdfunding to raise support for the horse owners and also the horses. They buy rations and prepare kits to be distributed among the owners of the horses and also fodder and water for the animals.

Rida and Dania have set the target of raising Rs four lakhs.

Ration kits being loaded for distribution in Matheran

Matheran, about 110 km from Mumbai, has a population of around 10,000; almost all are dependent on tourism. Tourists here often ride horses.

Due to the Covid-19, the hills station wears a deserted look. Maharashtra had a very high incidence of the Covid case and has been under constant lockdown for a long period. Due to all these circumstances, the horse owners are in a lot of trouble.

How did Dania and Rida think of supporting Matheran's horses and their owners?

Rida says, "A few weeks ago, we came to know about the plight of Matheran's horses and their owners in our school group chat. We became restless.”

Matheran in normal times

"The investigation revealed that Matheran was affected by the start of the 2020 lockdown," she says. "Those living there now have no means of stable income. About 400 horses in Matheran are facing starvation due to the financial constraints of horse owners. "

The owner of a horses says that they have to spend a lot of money on the animals. With the loss of income, it is becoming difficult for them to gather food. They are not able to do much to keep the horses alive.

Dania said, "Only then we decided of saving the lives of the horses and also support their owners." The duo took up the responsibility of arranging fodder for the horses and dry rations for their owners. They launched a crowdfunding campaign for the horses of Matheran.

Their campaign was that nobody in Matheran should go hungry. Some NGOs also came forward with funds and support.

The sisters also used social media platforms to raise awareness about the horses and their owners’ plight. They even spoke to strangers about the cause of horses and their owners and raised money. All their efforts led to a raising of Rs 3 lakh within a few days.

The train to Matheran

With that money, both sisters purchased 15,000 kg of fodder and 2,500 kg of ration for distribution. Rida says, "We realized that we need 4 lakh rupees to reach our goal. Hopefully, soon we will achieve this goal as well. We are determined to take Matheran's horses and their owners out of the current trouble. "

Dania said that so far they have distributed 100 ration kits. They have placed the order for the fodder and its delivery has started. They are getting help from many NGOs and animal lovers including Yoda, Khalsa Helping Hands, Matheran Stray Feeder Campaign, Lions’ Club.

Rida and Dania have also asked the local authorities to intervene in the matter. Both of them have written to the Minister of Tourism of animal husbandry Sunil Kedar asking him to take cognizance of the pitiable situation in Matheran.

Breathtaking scenic beauty of Matheran

Rida hopes, "These efforts will definitely lead to a long-term solution to the Matheran problem." ''

Matheran is situated about 110 km from Mumbai and 90 km from Pune. It is the smallest hill station in India that comes inside Karjat tehsil of Raigarh district.

It’s a popular destination for urban citizens to spend weekends due to its proximity to big cities. The entry of vehicles is prohibited here leading to its calm surroundings and unpolluted air. For this reason, Matheran is Asia's only vehicle free hill resort.

Of late tourists from the North and south India had started going there.

Matheran was discovered in May 1850 by the Collector of Thane district, Hugh Poynts Mallet.The then Governor of Mumbai, Lord Elphinstone, laid the foundation of the future hill station here and it was developed with a view to the English spending time during the summer days.

The Peak that gives an overview of Matheran

One can reach through theough Train. Neral station is the nearest railway station to Matheran. The tourists have to either go on foot or on horseback to the hill stations.  The horsecarts and rickshaws also run between the Neral station and the resort.The best train to reach here is the toy train.

Matheran has about 36 formerly fixed look-out points, including a panorama point, from where you can get a panoramic view of the Neral city in addition to the surrounding area.

The view of sunrise and sunset from Panorama Point is very dramatic and captivating. The strong fort at Louisa Point has a clear vision.