Mumbai: Dadar kabutarkhana under cover again amid civic action

Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

Five days after a large mob tore down the tarpaulin sheet over the Dadar kabutarkhana, the BMC in the early hours of Monday covered the famous pigeon-feeding site. Workers could be seen patching up the cover the previous day. Mumbai police personnel and riot control police, meanwhile, stood by at the junction.

According to directives from the Bombay High Court on July 30 during its hearing of a writ petition filed by the Dadar Jain Temple trust, the court had allowed BMC to cover kabutarkhanas with appropriate nets and other materials to prevent the congregation of pigeons and allow them to "naturally survive like other birds in Mumbai". The court also directed BMC to seek protection from local police stations for BMC officials discharging their duties. These orders stand until August 13, when next hearing is scheduled.

The Dadar kabutarkhana whose torn cover was restored by the BMC on Monday. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

The BMC's initial move to cover the kabutarkhana came ahead of two protests scheduled by citizens in the area - one on Sunday morning by members of the Jain community, as part of a Maha Aarti planned regarding the same issue, and one on Wednesday morning planned by Dadar residents to protest against "selective action taken by BMC"; in this case, its lack of action against those who seek to continue feeding pigeons at the kabutarkhana.

While the Jain temple trust had distanced itself from the mob that tore down the plastic sheets, Sandeep Doshi, a trustee, said, "It is not acceptable to us that the BMC did not present its stand before the court during the last hearing. We have complied with all decisions taken by the civic body and have demanded fair action through our peaceful protests. But the chief minister has already given directives to BMC, which are not being followed."

Sneha Visavia, another petitioner, said, "We have moved the Supreme Court, and the hearing was scheduled for Monday. However, the court has directed us to get the verdict in case being heard in the high court. Because of this, we could not approach the BMC on Monday for permissions to feed pigeons. We are making an application on Tuesday at 11 am."

Civic action

BMC has filed three FIRs, of which one was filed in the D ward, corresponding to Tardeo and Malabar Hill, and two were filed in the G North ward, at the Dadar. The BMC has collected R32,000 in fines. Since July 3, fines collected amount to R1,56,400. In August, most fines were collected from P South ward (Goregaon) and G North ward (Dadar West).