Lucknow, May 12 (IANS): Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Lucknow, Chiranjeev Nath Sinha, has been conferred the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India Award in appreciation of his efforts to feed animals during the lockdowns.

Chiranjeev Nath Sinha and his police team have been distributing bananas and chickpeas to stray monkeys and cows in Lucknow.

The police team has fed the stray animals in Khurram Nagar Kukarel area of Lucknow. Food was also fed to stray animals and monkeys in the lockdown last year by the ADCP.

"There is a lot of problem in getting food for animals when the lockdown is imposed. Community animals can starve and suffer in a lockdown because they depend on our leftover foods for survival," he had told reporters.

PETA India CEO, Dr Manilal Valliyate, said in a release on Wednesday, "PETA India is recognizing this honourable officer for lending a hand to animals in need and setting an example of compassion for everyone to follow."

He said that PETA India is encouraging kind people to continue feeding community animals during lockdowns, noting that it is safe to do so while complying with basic protocols, such as wearing a mask and maintaining distance from others.