Mumbai
Following the instructions of the Maharashtra government and the order of the Bombay High Court, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has officially banned the granule to pigeons in Dadar Pigeonkhana. On August 2, BMC took action against Dadar Pigeonkhana and covered it with large plastic tarpaulin.
This restriction has been applied due to serious health risks, as pigeons are likely to cause respiratory diseases and infections from beet (stool), especially in congested urban areas. The BMC, implementing the Bombay High Court order, demolished the illegal structures built in Dadar Pigeonkhana and the grains kept to feed the pigeons were seized.
BMC has imposed a fine on more than 100 people in Dadar Pigeonkhana since the ban was implemented on the grain of pigeons. The Bombay High Court has empowered the BMC to file an FIR against those who put the ban and file a criminal complaint against the grain, including a possible arrest on the violation of the order by a person repeatedly.
BMC has also got the support of the Mumbai Police in this action and CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor those places where people put the pigeons grain. Local people are opposing BMC action by citing cultural and religious grounds behind the granule to the pigeons. However, BMC says that it is giving priority to public health and sanitation on the order of the High Court.
Dadar resident Nilesh Trewadia said that BMC should also pay attention to the results of such ban. This ban is applicable to all major pigeonclanes of Mumbai including Dadar and the High Court has directed the BMC to strictly implement it. Legal action is being taken against people violating the ban. There are 51 pigeon in Mumbai, including iconic sites like Dadar Pigeonkhana.
Keeping in mind the situation arising out after banning the feeding of granule to pigeons in Mumbai, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has written a letter to Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner requesting that the sentiments expressed by bird lovers, Jain sadhus and citizens should be taken into account. Honoring the decision of the Bombay High Court, he has urged BMC to find a middle way out.
Centuries -old practice of Pijan feeding in Mumbai
In Mumbai, people in Mumbai put granule to pigeons for centuries are a practice, which has also caused many times the cause of controversies. In Indian culture, pigeons are considered to be a virtue and it is believed that it gives blessings of ancestors. It is said that by giving food to the pigeons, the soul of the dead ancestors gets satisfaction and gets rid of Pitra-Pida. Particularly on the day of Amavasya, it is considered auspicious to give granule to pigeons.
Some cultures also believe that pigeons are seen as a messenger between worldliness and spirituality, giving them food brings spiritual energy and makes a better relationship with God. In Jainism, putting grains to pigeons is a form of compassion for creatures or creatures, which is one of the major principles of Jain tradition. Jain temples and trusts operate the pigeonkhana. Followers of Jainism regularly go to these places to put pigeons. Dadar Pigeonkhana was also established by a Jain temple.
History of feeding grains to pigeons in Mumbai
Due to the large number of Gujarati and Jain traders in Mumbai, pigeonkhanas are found across the city. Due to this, a strict number of pigeons can be seen in Mumbai. Edward Hamilton Atcon in his book ‘The Common Birds of Bombay’ in 1909, explaining the reasons for the large population of pigeons in the city, wrote, ‘They are attracted to Bombay with two things: there is no shortage of buildings here and there is no lack of food due to the generosity of Hindu grain traders.’
The Bombay Municipality wrote a letter to the Jain temple at Dadar in 1944 allowing the construction of a traffic island for the food of birds. The letter was issued in response to the letter sent by the Jain temple, in which permission was sought to make a fence for the protection of pigeons living in the herd near the temple and being crushed by cars.
The traffic island is a raised or marked area on the road that is used to control traffic, provide safe space to pedestrians, and to reduce accidents. Such structures are made at intersections or between the roads, so that the movement of vehicles can be arranged and pedestrians can get a safe place to cross the road.
Health risk from beats of pigeons in Mumbai
It was widely acceptable to put a grain of pigeons in the then Bombay. But in the mid -90s, concerns began to emerge on it, when the beats of pigeons were linked to respiratory diseases in medical studies. Subsequently, complaints related to feeding pigeons in Mumbai started increasing, citizens complained of respiratory problems due to high number of pigeons.
In 2013, on June 30, a BMC engineer fell from a motorcycle after a pigeon suddenly surfaced near the pigeonkhana on Grant Road. After the incident, the local councilor removed the grain sellers from the road. Two days later, Makarand Narvekar, Chairman of the then BMC Law Committee, proposed to transfer pigeonkhans to low crowded areas. However, no concrete action was ever taken on this proposal. Since 2014, several pigeon has been removed in the city and the people caught by putting pigeons have been fined by BMC.
Why was pigeonkhans closed in Mumbai?
During the Maharashtra Legislative Council session on July 3, 2025, Minister Uday Samanta (Shiv Sena leader) announced the immediate closure of 51 pigeon in Mumbai, citing the threat of respiratory disease of pigeons and wings. After this announcement, BMC launched a campaign against pigeonkhans across the city, under which the pigeons were fined and the pigeon was closed.
The Bombay High Court refused to give an interim order allowing pigeons to feed the pigeons twice a day on July 15 this year, saying that humans and animals should be balanced. However, the High Court directed that no old pigeon will be broken till further orders. Justice Girish S. Kulkarni and Justice Arif S. The doctor’s bench was hearing a writ petition filed by animal rights activist Pallavi Sachin Patil, Sneha Deepak Visaria and Savita Mahajan, demanding to prevent BMC from demolishing the pigeon and ensure that the citizens were demanded Pigeons should not be stopped from pouring grains.
The Bombay High Court on July 31, directed the BMC to register an FIR against those who illegally and in violation of the rules, despite the ban in Dadar (West) and other pigeon. Following this order, BMC finally closed Mumbai’s most prestigious Pijan feeding stop (pigeons to granule) eventually closed and covered with thick sheets of gray colored tarpaulin.
