After initial push, action against pigeon feeding loses steam in Pune

Pune's campaign against feeding pigeons has stalled, with no actions taken from April to July 2025, despite initial fines and awareness efforts.

While the solid waste management (SWM) department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had begun an aggressive campaign against the feeding of pigeons in public places in December 2024, the drive has ground to a halt with not a single action taken in the last four months between April and July 2025, as per a SWM report.

In the seven months from January to July 2025, action was taken against only nine individuals with a total ₹9,500 collected in fines. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

In December 2024, the civic SWM department began in earnest with action taken against 52 individuals caught feeding pigeons in public places and ₹35,160 collected in fines in the month of December alone. Whereas in the seven months from January to July 2025, action was taken against only nine individuals with a total ₹9,500 collected in fines. Of these seven months, the past four months from April to July saw not a single action against the feeding of pigeons in public places, indicating a complete halt in enforcement.

A senior official from the SWM department, said, “The initial drive in December 2024 saw good response but since then, the follow-up has not been consistent. Staff shortage and shifting priorities have impacted routine action.”

In the absence of continued monitoring, pigeon feeding in public places, especially religious sites, has once again become a common sight in the city. The SWM department has identified several locations including Airport Road, Nagpur Chawl, Bund Garden flyover, Rasta Peth, Laxmi Narayan Talkies and Saras Baug as pigeon feeding hotspots.

Action against the feeding of pigeons in public places was first initiated following directions from former PMC commissioner Rajendra Bhosale in response to a rise in cases of lung disease caused by microorganisms found in pigeon droppings and feathers. Those caught feeding pigeons in public are liable to be fined in the region of ₹500 to ₹5,000 with repeat offenders charged higher fine amounts. While there was hope that such strict enforcement would deter citizens from the practice, the campaign by the PMC SWM department has greatly lost momentum.

However, Sandip Kadam, head of the SWM department, said that the action against feeding of pigeons in public places is ongoing. “We have conducted awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the disease and nuisance caused by pigeon droppings. However, despite awareness activities, some citizens continue to feed these birds. The action will continue, and we urge citizens to follow the rules and cooperate with the authorities to ensure a cleaner and healthier city,” he said.