Pigeon politics in Mumbai takes over

As kabutarkhanas get shrouded in grey, Mumbai rages over pigeon politics.

Transcript

00:00No khana for kabutars. Pigeons are long-time romanticized companions grew up with humans

00:06until they no longer needed them. In fact, a study in 1995 pointed out they're just as

00:12curious and impressionable as humans and are even capable of distinguishing paintings by

00:16Monet and Picasso. But now it's official. The first criminal case has been filed by

00:22the Mumbai police for feeding pigeons in Mumbai on August 3rd, 2025.

00:30This comes just days after the Bombay High Court initiated a ban on pigeon feeding

00:38at public and heritage sites. The court has cited serious public health hazards and respiratory

00:44infections due to pigeon droppings that can also be lethal in this order.

00:48With this, kabutars have divided the bustling city, pitting commuters against animal welfare

00:53activists. While any shot of Bombay is incomplete without a flock of pigeons nesting on the iconic

00:58gateway of India, the financial capital finds itself in a storm over pigeon politics.

01:03Interestingly, it is the influential Gujarati and Jain communities that believe

01:07that feeding pigeons is auspicious. Many Jain businessmen have contributed to the development

01:12of kabutarkhanas in the city, over 50 of which, including the popular Dadar kabutarkhana,

01:17are now shrouded in grey.

01:18As thousands of activists and Jain spiritual leaders protest the ban, which was never legally

01:36enforced until now due to influential political clout, pigeon starvation has become a political issue.

01:42A PETA study finds that pigeons rely on food provided by people more than natural resources

01:47in a city like Mumbai. They also reproduce more as they are fed more. Extensive studies have found

01:52that pigeon droppings and feathers carry harmful pathogens, including viruses, that can cause long-term

01:57respiratory issues like hypersensitivity and pneumonitis. The effects also go beyond just health.

02:03Mumbai residents have complained of the nuisance pigeons create at bus stops and the stench their

02:08droppings leave in stretches near feeding spots. The highly acidic excreta also adds to the huge

02:14maintenance costs of historical landmarks due to corrosion like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja

02:19terminus. Animal rights activists argue that pigeons are just as dirty as human beings.

02:24As Mumbai battles its love-hate relationship with these homely birds, what are your thoughts on the

02:28raging pigeon politics taking over?