Petition in Bombay High Court flags health and safety risks at BMC’s new pigeon feeding site

A Mumbai-based lawyer on Wednesday (November 19, 2025) moved the Bombay High Court to quash the BMC’s order allowing controlled keeping of pigeons at four places, including the Airoli-Mulund streamside, citing health, safety and environmental risks.

The petition, filed by lawyer and social activist Sagar Kantilal Devre, argues that the site poses “serious risks” to public health, road safety and the local ecosystem.

The intervention application comes against the backdrop of ongoing petitions against the legality of keeping pigeons in public spaces. The Supreme Court had earlier upheld the BMC’s blanket ban on traditional feeding of pigeons. kabutarkhanasHe cites medical evidence that pigeon droppings and feathers can transmit serious respiratory diseases such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis. The Supreme Court declined to intervene in those decisions in August.

Following public pressure, the BMC issued a press note on October 31 announcing an interim arrangement that includes controlled recharge at Worli Reservoir, a mangrove area in Andheri West, Gorai Maidan in Borivali and Airoli-Mulund streamside. NGOs willing to provide cleanliness and crowd control have been invited to monitor these points until an expert committee submits its report.

Mr Circuit’s petition argues that the Airoli-Mulund site is “highly unsuitable”, citing photographs showing traffic congestion and unsanitary conditions. “Sudden escape of large herds near a busy arterial road connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai could trigger accidents,” the plea states. It also warns of ecological degradation in mangrove habitats and potential harm to migratory birds such as flamingos.

The application reiterates health concerns highlighted in previous court hearings, stating that pigeon droppings release fungal spores and allergens that can cause irreversible lung damage, especially among children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. Environmental hazards such as corrosion of infrastructure and clogging of sewers were also flagged.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed the formation of a 13-member expert committee, comprising pulmonologists, microbiologists and representatives from the Bombay Natural History Society and Animal Welfare Boards, to study the health impact of pigeon keeping and suggest long-term solutions. The commission’s report is awaited.

The Hon’ble Circuit urged the court to allow its intervention and direct the BMC to reconsider the Airoli-Mulund appointment.