2 weeks Ago
Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)'s crackdown on citizens feeding pigeons has shown a significant decline, with just two individuals fined for flouting the norm in Feb this year as against six in Jan and 52 in Dec, 2024. Civic officials have attributed the trend to PMC's awareness campaigns highlighting the health risks associated with pigeons' droppings. In Dec last year, the civic administration implemented the fines for feeding pigeons in public places, citing health hazards from pigeon droppings and feathers, with penalties ranging from Rs 500 (single offence) to Rs 5,000 (repeat offence).
"The practice of feeding pigeons is observed not only in the urban areas or housing societies, but also in the slum pockets. Many youngsters form groups and feed these birds. Informal fights and flying competitions of these pigeons are organised for entertainment and fun in the slum pockets too," an official said.
To tackle the issue, housing societies are proactively educating their members about the risks associated with feeding pigeons. "We are conducting awareness campaigns to inform residents about the problems caused by bird droppings. Handouts and banners are placed on the society premises.
Besides, messages are circulated on social media handles and WhatsApp groups," AV Kulkarni, the secretary of a housing society in Kothrud, said. Kalyani Gaikwad, a resident of NIBM Road, pointed out that many people feed pigeons with good intentions, believing it to be a kind and noble act."They should know that their innocuous act can make people sick and spread diseases.
The pigeon menace has forced many people to install nets in their balconies and other areas to keep the birds away," she said. "We have also requested grocery shops in front of our society to stop throwing grain on the floor to feed pigeons," Gaikwad said. The PMC officials said they were closely monitoring spots where the practice was common, particularly during morning and evening hours.
"Our teams are raising awareness among citizens at these locations. Civic officials from the solid waste department have been formed to patrol these areas. We will continue to take action in the coming days to discourage pigeon feeding and maintain public cleanliness," Sandip Kadam, the head of PMC's solid waste management department, said.
Kadam said many superstitions and misbeliefs were attached to feeding the birds. "Many people believe that the act brings wealth and prosperity. We want the bird lovers to maintain the right balance between compassion and larger public health concerns," he added.
Gauri Kulkarni of Paud Road said, "Though the number of cases have gone down, many of us see people still feeding pigeons in the open. The administration must ensure consistency in the action. There is a high possibility that cases are reducing, because the administration is not paying enough attention to such incidents.
" The issue of health problems caused by bird droppings came into focus in 2023 after a woman from Mumbai was diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a condition which was caused by bird droppings. The disease in her case progressed to a stage where a lung transplant was the only option left. The patient was admitted to the ICU of a private Super Specialty Hospital in Pimpri for treatment.
The respiratory failure put her on non-invasive ventilator support. She was then put on the list for a bilateral lung transplant, which was performed in Nov 2023..
