Feeding of pigeons causing nuisance, posing health risk to people, says HC; allows FIR filing
Mumbai, Jul 30 (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said feeding of a congregation of pigeons was an act causing a public nuisance and also posed a health hazard to people, and directed the Mumbai civic body to file FIRs against persons engaging in such an activity.
A bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Arif Doctor, while hearing a petition filed by a group of animal enthusiasts, noted the issue at hand is one of public health and the grave and potential health hazard to people of all ages at large.
The court had earlier this month restrained the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from demolishing any of the old heritage 'kabutarkhanas' (pigeon feeding spots) in the metropolis, but had said it cannot permit feeding of these birds.
Despite the denial of permission, it has been found people continue to feed pigeons at these 'kabutarkhanas', the court noted on Wednesday.
"This is now compounded with an emerging situation of utter disregard for law, by those who defiantly continue to feed pigeons in the teeth of our earlier order rejecting pleas supporting any such feeding and congregation of pigeons and now obstruction to civic officials from discharging their duties in this regard," the bench observed.
The HC then asked the BMC to penalise those feeding pigeons in defiance of its directives.
"We accordingly permit the municipal corporation to lodge prosecutions against any person/s who continues to feed pigeons in defiance of the directives issued by the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) since such acts would, in our unhesitating view, constitute a public nuisance and likely to spread diseases and endanger human life," the HC said noted.
"Such acts undoubtedly expose people at large and particularly those who dwell or occupy property in the vicinity (of pigeon feeding spots) to an eminent danger from the spread of infections/diseases dangerous to human life, in addition to causing a large scale public nuisance," it insisted.
The municipal corporation shall take all necessary steps and implement strict measures as they may deem appropriate to stop the congregation of pigeons at the various 'kabutarkhanas' across the metropolis, the bench maintained.
The court noted that the major concern today is again of the most vital aspect -- namely the safety and predominance of human health from the menace created by the congregation of pigeons in the kabutarkhanas in question.
The HC was hearing the petition by animal lovers Pallavi Patil, Sneha Visaria, and Savita Mahajan, who claimed the BMC began demolishing 'kabutarkhanas' from July 3 without legal backing.
They argued the BMC's act violated the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
ALSO READ: Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police
Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
