Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against 150 people for staging a protest at Dadar Kabutarkhana in central Mumbai to oppose the BMC`s attempt to stop pigeon-feeding at the spot, police said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.
The first information report was registered at the Dadar police station five days ago for unlawful assembly, mischief and disobeying orders issued by the police commissioner under relevant sections of BNS and Maharashtra Police Act, an official said.
No one has been arrested, he added.
On August 6, hundreds of people including Jain community members gathered near Kabutarkhana to protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation`s (BMC) decision to cover the feeding spot.
The BMC had covered the Kabutarkhana with a tarpaulin sheet and putting up a board warning citizens against feeding pigeons.
The protestors had tried to remove the covers and bamboo fence erected by the BMC besides blocking traffic during peak hours, demanding that feeding pigeons should be allowed, the police official said.
Feeding of pigeons in public places such as Dadar Kabutarkhana has become a controversial issue with health experts warning that droppings and feathers of pigeons can cause serious respiratory infections to humans.
The state government on July 3 directed the BMC to immediately ensure the feeding of pigeons at public places across the city is stopped in light of health hazards that can lead to respiratory illnesses and several allergies among residents living in the vicinity of kabutarkhanas. Shiv Sena leader and nominated MLC Manisha Kayande had raised the issue in the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday, July 3, stating that kabutarkhanas pose a danger to the people living around them as their waste and feathers lead to respiratory diseases.
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is officially asking Mumbaikars for their say on the ban. The civic body has invited suggestions and objections on whether controlled feeding should be allowed at designated times of the day. The window for public feedback opens on Monday, August 18, and will remain open until Friday, August 29.
The civic body has issued a public appeal: “Citizens are requested to review the applications uploaded on the website and send their objections or suggestions on whether pigeons should be fed in a controlled manner… to the email ID [suggestions@mcgm.gov.in] between August 18 and August 29, 2025.”
(with PTI inputs)
