Bengaluru: Bengaluru authorities have directed municipal corporations to regulate pigeon feeding in public spaces, citing serious health risks from large congregations of birds and exposure to droppings, which can cause respiratory illnesses such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The Health and Family Welfare Department’s note dated December 16 calls for feeding to be allowed only in designated areas, under controlled hours and managed by NGOs or charitable organisations. Local officers may issue fines or prosecute violators under Sections 271 and 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Public awareness campaigns, including signboards and digital messages, are also being mandated.

Responding to concerns, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar told the legislature: “No reports of respiratory diseases related to pigeons have been recorded among the public within the limits of Bengaluru corporations.” He added that the government has no plans to ban feeding pigeons outright, unlike Mumbai, Pune, and Thane.

PTI inputs