Feeding Pigeons To Remain Banned: Bombay HC Reiterates Decision Amid Protest

Last Updated:August 13, 2025, 17:24 IST

The order comes days after the Supreme Court refused to intervene, observing that proceedings are still pending before the high court.

Bombay HC upholds Pigeon feeding ban order | Representative

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday reiterated its ban on feeding pigeons at Mumbai’s kabutarkhanas, directing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to continue prosecuting those who defy the restrictions.

The order comes days after the Supreme Court refused to intervene, observing that proceedings are still pending before the high court.

“Parallel indulgence by this court is not proper. Petitioner can move the high court for modification of the order," a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi said on August 11.

Hearing a batch of petitions from animal lovers challenging the demolition of decades-old kabutarkhanas, the high court had earlier stayed demolition but barred feeding.

On July 30, it warned that continued violations amounted to a “public nuisance likely to spread diseases and endanger human life," ordering cases to be registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The court had also flagged pigeon breeding and large gatherings at kabutarkhanas as a “grave social concern," stressing the ruling was in the “larger interest of societal health, from children to senior citizens."

The BMC, defending its crackdown, cited medical studies linking pigeon droppings and feathers to asthma, lung fibrosis, hypersensitivity, and pneumonitis, warning that the damage is often detected only after it becomes irreversible.

Petitioners, including Pallavi Sachin Patil, argued that pigeon feeding is a religious custom among Hindus and Jains, with 51 feeding spots operating in the city for decades.

They said health risks were overstated and suggested alternatives such as bird towers to allow coexistence.

The ban has sparked widespread protests.

On August 6, hundreds of devotees clashed with police at Dadar’s kabutarkhana, tearing down barricades and tarpaulin sheets set up to stop feeding.

Earlier, over 1,000 community members had rallied against restrictions at the site.

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August 13, 2025, 17:24 IST

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