Mumbai’s civic body has fined 142 persons for illegally feeding pigeons between July 13 and August 3, The Indian Express reported on Monday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has collected Rs 68,700 in penalties from those fined.

The highest number of fines – 61, or nearly 43% of the total – were issued at the Dadar kabootarkhana, or pigeon feeding spot, The Times of India reported.

The municipal corporation can levy a fine of up to Rs 500 on anyone found feeding animals or birds in the city in a non-designated area.

After Dadar, the second-highest number of fines were issued in the H West ward – which includes parts of Bandra, Khar and Santacruz – where at least 15 persons were penalised for feeding pigeons at two kabootarkhanas. In the T ward, which covers Mulund, fines were collected from 13 persons for unauthorised feeding.

On July 3, the Maharashtra government had directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to begin shutting down designated pigeon feeding spots in the city.

As part of this move, the Mumbai civic body on Saturday closed the Dadar feeding ground, marking the end of an almost century-old tradition.

On Friday, a first information report was registered at Mahim Police Station against an unidentified person for feeding pigeons at the spot.

Play

This came after the Bombay High Court on Thursday said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation can register first information reports against those who continue to feed pigeons despite directives against it.

The court allowed the municipal corporation to file cases against those feeding pigeons under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to public nuisance, negligent acts likely to spread infectious diseases and malignant acts likely to spread life-threatening diseases.

The court also told the civic body to install closed-circuit television cameras at places where pigeon feeding was still taking place.

Also read: Why India needs to rethink its love for pigeons