Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Department has recommended strict action in view of the health risks posed by feeding pigeons in public places. The department has requested the Urban Development Department (UDD) to issue instructions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations in the state to implement clear and strict guidelines in this regard.
Deputy Secretary of the department, V. Lakshminath, has written a letter to UDD asking it to take necessary steps to ban feeding pigeons in public places and strictly regulate it. It has been clarified in the letter that there should be a complete ban on feeding people in areas where pigeons cause inconvenience or health risk to people.
What did the health department say about the rules,
According to the letter, pigeons can be allowed to feed only at marked and designated places. This permission will also be for a limited time, under controlled circumstances. The responsibility of monitoring and management of such places can be entrusted to any charitable organization or NGO.
The department has also recommended giving local authorities the power to issue on-the-spot warnings, impose fines or take legal action in case of violation of rules. Along with this, municipal corporations have been directed to run public awareness campaigns to make citizens aware about the health risks posed by pigeons, rules, penal provisions and alternative humane methods of caring for the birds.
Weak and sensitive people may be more affected
In this letter written by the department on Tuesday (December 16, 2025), the increasing number of pigeons in densely populated urban areas and the dangers posed by their droppings and feathers have been cited as the main reasons for this step. Citing warnings from medical experts, it said that prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers can lead to hypersensitivity pneumonitis, serious respiratory diseases and even permanent damage to the lungs, and the risk may be especially high in weak and sensitive people.
Provision of imprisonment along with fine for violation of instructions.
The department also said that there has been an abnormal increase in the population of pigeons due to feeding them in public places, which has increased the risk of spreading infectious diseases through their urine and droppings. For these reasons, the government has issued strict guidelines on feeding pigeons in public places, violation of which can result in fine or even jail sentence.
The letter also mentions similar regulatory measures adopted by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation following the instructions of the Bombay High Court. The Health Department has appealed to citizens to take these guidelines seriously and follow them in the interest of the health and safety of the community.
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