The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday covered the Kabutarkhana in Dadar with a tarpaulin sheet, citing health hazards linked to pigeon feeding and restricted public access. The move, which follows a Bombay High Court directive, has drawn criticism and prompted Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha to intervene.
The Kabutarkhana, a Grade II heritage structure, was sealed off with grey tarpaulin and a warning board discouraging pigeon feeding. This action came days after the Bombay High Court termed mass feeding of pigeons a “public nuisance” and a health risk, directing the civic body to file FIRs against those who continue the practice.
In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Lodha, who is also the guardian minister for Mumbai suburban district, urged the BMC to consider an “amicable solution” that balances court directives with public sentiment, including concerns of seers and animal lovers.
Lodha also raised concerns about pigeons dying on the streets due to lack of food, which he said was beginning to affect public transport. He proposed identifying alternative sites for feeding pigeons, suggesting open spaces in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and Aarey Colony.
“The corporation should think more broadly and provide dedicated areas where pigeons can be fed without causing health hazards,” Lodha wrote in his letter, requesting the civic chief’s immediate attention to the matter.
Last month, the Bombay High Court restrained the BMC from demolishing heritage kabutarkhanas in the city, but maintained that feeding pigeons at these spots would not be allowed.
(With inputs from PTI)
