The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Delhi government and civic bodies over the growing menace of pigeon droppings on footpaths, pavements, and public spaces in the national capital region.
The tribunal has taken up the matter on the basis of a plea filed by a school student, raising concerns about serious health and environmental hazards caused by unchecked feeding and proliferation of pigeons, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel directed the Delhi government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Public Works Department (PWD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to file their response by way of affidavit at least a week before the next hearing on October 18.
The filings must be submitted through e-filing.
The student petitioner has flagged that dried pigeon droppings, often left to accumulate in public areas, release toxic particles when disturbed, especially during routine cleaning.
"Once broomed, the dry droppings mix with dust in the air, polluting the environment and leading to serious lung diseases such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis," the petition states. It further states that the disease, often caused by prolonged exposure to bird droppings, can result in lung scarring and long-term breathing difficulties.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Ashish Jain pointed out a specific location where a few square metres of footpath had been encroached by a food grain vendor. "This one stretch alone generates kilos of pigeon poo every single day. When it's broomed in the morning, it releases harmful particles into the air, making the environment toxic, especially for young children and the elderly," Jain argued before the tribunal.
The plea urges authorities to take immediate action against vendors who feed pigeons on public pathways, arguing that such encroachments directly contribute to the environmental hazard. It seeks direction for MCD, PWD, and NDMC to remove these vendors from public spaces under their jurisdiction.
Taking note of the issue, the tribunal observed that the petition raises a "substantial issue relating to compliance of environmental norms" and requires urgent attention from the authorities concerned.
"Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by wayof affidavit before the Tribunal at least one week before the next date ofhearing through e-filing. If any respondent directly files the reply withoutrouting it through his advocate then the said respondent will remainvirtually present to assist the Tribunal," the order dated May 29 read, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
