Yesteryear's sport has turned into a commercial activity today, with unscrupulous people keeping hordes of pigeons in tiny coops in matchbox houses in urban residential areas, trading in meat and eggs. Needless to say, residents complain of noise pollution, health hazards and filth, but find no takers for their grievances. Vets and avian experts are of the view that it is harmful to the birds too and that there should be some regulations for pigeon farming just like poultry. TreeTake takes a look…
Homemaker Vineeta's day begins on a noisy note. Every day she wakes up at 5, 5.30 or 6, not to the sound of an alarm clock but raucous yells, shrill whistles and loud hooting from a slum pocket behind her house in a posh residential colony in Lucknow. The noise-makers are some people who are letting off their pigeons in the sky. Yes, they keep hundreds of birds in small coops on the rooftops of their matchbox houses! A peeved Vineeta said: "The shrieking that continues off and on throughout the day and is more pronounced in the morning and evening, gets on my nerves. My children get disturbed while studying. My elderly in-laws' sleep is disturbed. It is nothing short of a public nuisance. Numerous complaints to authorities have gone in vain." Her neighbour said the birds left droppings on his terrace which were very hard to clean. An aged resident of the locality said the birds flapping overhead and circling in the sky all the time seemed to be aggravating his breathing allergy. All of them are unanimous that there should be some regulation against keeping hordes of pigeons in tiny spaces in congested urban localities, for they cause untold misery to people and can be a health hazard, while their owners rake in moolah.
WHAT THE VET SAYS
A leading veterinarian of Lucknow said on condition of anonymity: “Birds that are kept near our locality or community for the purpose of games, food, fun and amusement or even commercial use need to be taken seriously. All such birds, including love birds, pigeons and backyard poultry in living areas are definitely a potential threat to people in general. If somebody is keeping birds on their premises, a standard protocol should be followed as the one followed for poultry farming. The reason is obvious: We want our microenvironment disease-free. These birds which are kept under nonstandard parameters will invite different viruses and protozoal diseases which may enter the human food chain. Like poultry farming, these birds too need properly scheduled deworming, anti-coccidial treatment and hygienic housing which may prevent obnoxious smells in society and different strains of bird viruses. If community birds or backyard birds are there, they must be protected against all important viruses and bacteria by vaccination schedule at least twice a year. It is the need of the hour to keep pigeons and all such birds in the community under guidelines to protect human beings, especially those with low immunity, like children and geriatric persons. The outbreak of bird flu should be monitored in these birds too and regular serum sampling is a necessity. Protect the environment, protect the birds and in turn protect human beings."
DISEASES CAUSED BY PIGEONS
In Mumbai, a woman who felt breathless was found to have contracted hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which causes scarring of the lungs making it difficult to breathe. The disease is caused by an immunological reaction of the lungs to repeated inhalation of an antigen or allergen and pigeon dropping is a common antigen. The disease is not curable and is managed with life-long use of steroids and immunosuppressants. The woman said there were pigeons and their droppings all around her building. Pulmonologists also blame pigeons for the growing number of hypersensitivity pneumonitis cases. Doctors also say pigeons are known to spread zoonoses through ectoparasites in their droppings or feathers. Pigeon droppings also cause cryptococcal meningitis (a fungal infection that spreads from the lungs to the brain with symptoms that include confusion or changes in behaviour) and psittacosis (a bacterial infection with a pneumonia-like condition). If pigeons are kept in congested urban localities, people can easily come in contact with their droppings and contract any of these diseases. Experts say faecal matter can remain suspended in the air and can easily travel into our lungs, particularly as air quality is poor in many cities. A pigeon can generate 12-15 kg of dropping in a year, as per data. Pigeons can carry and spread a number of diseases, including:
Histoplasmosis: A highly infectious fungal disease that causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, fatigue, muscular aches and a dry cough. Breathing in the fungus from pigeon droppings can cause serious infection.
Psittacosis: A flu-like illness that can be transmitted by breathing in dust from pigeon droppings.
Salmonella: A bacterial infection that can cause diarrhoea and is present in some pigeon droppings.
Cryptococcosis: A rare fungal infection that grows in soil and bird droppings.
Ornithosis: An infection that can be transmitted by inhaling bacteria from dried pigeon droppings or handling the feathers of infected pigeons.
Bird mites: These mites are often found in pigeon nests and roosting places and feed on bird blood, but can also bite humans.
Avian tuberculosis: A disease caused by the Mycobacterium avium subsp avium (MAA) that mainly affects birds and sometimes farm animals. Needless to say, children, the elderly and people with low immunity are most at risk.
The primary method of transmission is droppings. Pigeons often perch on buildings, windowsills, and ledges and then leave their droppings behind. As these droppings dry up, they turn into dust which then becomes airborne. People can inhale such contaminated dust particles through the air. Once inhaled, they reach the lungs and then the bloodstream and -alas!- there is no escape from infection. Direct contact with pigeon droppings can have the same effect.
YESTERYEAR SPORT TURNS COMMERCIAL
Kabootar baazi in India dates back to Mughal times. In Lucknow and some other cities of Uttar Pradesh, it has been a popular sport since the nawabi era. In the absence of modern means of entertainment, people enjoyed patangbaazi, baterbaazi and kabootar baazi. Initially, it was a sport for the noblemen but, with the passage of time, percolated right down to the lower strata.
However, there is a vast difference between then and now. Earlier, pigeons were kept in sprawling houses for sport, causing no trouble around. Today, they are kept in tiny houses, more for commercial activity than for sport or even betting. Pigeon keepers trade in meat and eggs. They also sell pigeons of other groups that come to their group by mistake. Superstitious people buy pigeons because they believe massage with pigeon blood can cure paralysis. Pigeons are used in occult practices too.
Prof Venkatesh Dutta, School of Environment Sciences, BBAU Lucknow said: "Pigeons and their droppings can trigger allergies and respiratory issues in some people. A disease called histoplasmosis is triggered by the fungal infection caused by inhaling spores from pigeon droppings. Similarly, cryptococcosis, a fungal disease is spread through pigeon droppings. Psittacosis or pigeon fever is caused by a bacterial infection transmitted through contact with pigeon droppings or feathers. Pigeon feathers, droppings, or mites can trigger allergic reactions such as allergic rhinitis. Pigeon allergens can also exacerbate asthma symptoms. Strict measures must be taken to regulate and manage pigeon populations in congested urban areas due to concerns about public health. Pigeon keepers should be encouraged to relocate birds to rural or designated areas. Some successful examples include:
1. New York City's Pigeon Control Programme (USA)
2. London's Pigeon Control Initiative (UK)
3. Toronto's Pigeon Management Strategy (Canada)
4. Melbourne's Urban Pigeon Management Plan (Australia)
We need such programmes here."
AUTHORITIES EXPRESS HELPLESSNESS
When contacted, PCCF Sudhir Kumar Sharma said foresters could not do anything about domestic pigeon keeping since it did not fall within their ambit. Another forest official said it was the work of the municipal corporation or the district administration to see that pigeon-keeping did not create a public nuisance or health hazard. A Lucknow Municipal Corporation official said the civic authorities could not do anything since there were no guidelines about this, nor any law.
AVIAN EXPERTS CALL FOR SUITABLE GUIDELINES
Most avian experts are of the opinion that keeping pigeons in congested spaces and matchbox houses in residential areas not only causes a public nuisance but is also hard on the birds. They need proper and clean spaces. Their living conditions need to be monitored too.
Lucknow-based avian expert Kaushalendra Singh said: "Definitely pigeon keeping should be controlled and regulated. Anyone who keeps pigeons whether as pets or for commercial activity should house them properly in clean and airy spaces and feed them properly. But who will monitor this? The authorities lack sufficient infrastructure for this. For example, there is so much hue and cry about stray cattle on the roads but still, every day you can spot cows at garbage dumps. Then pigeons are a far cry, irrespective of the fact that they cause public nuisance and are disease carriers. I think suitable guidelines should be framed if there are no existing ones. For instance, owners of exotic birds have to register them online under the Government of India's Parivesh scheme. I have also done so. After registration, there is a visit by the authorities concerned to check if they are housed, fed and kept properly. I think pigeons should also be brought under this scheme. If parrots can be included in it, why not pigeons? It is the need of the hour that the departments concerned, particularly the municipal corporation, realise their responsibility and take some action."
Agra-based avian expert Dr Mukul said: "Blue Rock pigeons are fed even in public spaces. Pigeons are often seen in monuments too and their droppings deface the edifices. I feel if there are no guidelines, they should be framed. In Agra, there are certain pockets where pigeons are reared. Pigeons are also sold in the Gudri market. We tried making the pigeon keepers aware of the health hazard but to no avail. Since they did not pay attention, we left it at that. In Agra, pigeon feeding in a couple of parks has been disallowed. The absence of a clear law or regulation is a big problem. Some kind of a framework should be there and it should be made mandatory to seek the civic body's permission before keeping pigeons in such large numbers."
An ornithologist said on condition of anonymity that keeping pigeons in small coops (darba) in congested and small houses was unethical and bad. Poor airflow made the birds susceptible to respiratory diseases. He said birds were very sensitive to pollutants in the air. Besides, any source of smoke, whether it was from house inmates smoking a cigarette or fumes from the kitchen or even a vaporiser used in the house, was very unsafe and in fact, detrimental to the well-being of the birds. He said pigeons needed a living space where they could move around. An ideal space for one or two pigeons would be 3.5ft X 3 ft X 2ft. In the Western countries, people who kept pigeons used lofts, unlike here where people kept them in tiny spaces, he said.
WHAT CAN BE DONE
Dealing with intense noise pollution, filth and health risks is a challenging task. Talking to pigeon owners does not yield any results in most cases. On the contrary, there is likely to be a confrontation. Hence the authorities must step in in the interest of the citizens.
A lawyer of the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court said on condition of anonymity: "As per law if any activity hazardous or harmful for human life is conducted or performed by any person or group inside the municipal limits, the municipality can take strict action against that society, group or person." Besides, Section 271 of BNS says: Whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both. Section 270 of BNS says: A person is guilty of a public nuisance who does any act or is guilty of an illegal omission which causes any common injury, danger or annoyance to the public or to the people in general who dwell or occupy property in the vicinity, or which must necessarily cause injury, obstruction, danger or annoyance to persons who may have occasion to use any public right.
Pigeons are an important part of the ecosystem as well as urban wildlife. But unchecked human greed is responsible for turning them into urban pests. Dealing with the problem of rampant urban pigeon keeping needs the collective efforts of people and the civic authorities. It is possible to create a peaceful and healthy cityscape by raising awareness about the impact of pigeons on urban environments.
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