Jain temple trust hires labourers to pick up pigeons killed by vehicles in Dadar after BMC covers kabutarkhana with tarpaulin to prevent feeding
The kabutarkhana at Dadar covered with tarpaulin sheets by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Pic/Shadab Khan
A day after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) covered Dadar’s iconic kabutarkhana with tarpaulin sheets, members of the Jain community staged a peaceful protest by employing seven labourers to rescue pigeons being killed by traffic outside Dadar station.
The labourers, carrying sticks, patrolled the periphery of kabutarkhana, halting cars and BEST buses to save pigeons from being run over. The community also approached Dadar police station to file a complaint against the BMC, demanding that the civic body take responsibility for the traffic chaos and pigeon deaths caused by its decision.
The kabutarkhana at Dadar covered with tarpaulin sheets by BMC. Pics/Shadab Khan
Simultaneously, BMC deployed its staff at the site to fine those feeding pigeons, while five to six Mumbai police personnel were stationed. “The temple trust has hired us to be here from 6 am to 7 pm every day this week. We’re picking up dead pigeons and urging the live ones away from the road. I’ve lifted five dead birds today,” said Bunty, a labourer employed by the temple trust.
Members of the Jain community gathered in large numbers at the Shantinath Bhagwan Shwetambar Jain Temple, located at the junction, to decide their next steps. The trust also collected data from major hospitals, including KEM, Sion, Nair, Cooper, and Jaslok, to independently verify if any human deaths were linked to diseases contracted from pigeons.
A man with a stick urges pigeons on the road to go back to the kabutarkhana
“This kabutarkhana is over 100 years old and sees nearly a lakh pigeons every day. Now, many are dying on the streets as they panic and fly into traffic. We didn’t oppose BMC’s move to stop people from feeding them. But there is no need to cover it,” said Sandeep Doshi, trustee and spokesperson for the temple trust.
Doshi said the trust had filed an RTI with BMC seeking data on pigeon-related disease deaths, but found no conclusive evidence. “So we approached hospitals ourselves. We will present this data in court. The hearing is scheduled for August 7, 2025.”
Pigeons swarm the road outside the covered kabutarkhana, creating hygiene and safety concerns. Pic/Eeshanpriya MS
As flocks of pigeons took over footpaths and streets, many nearby shops remained shut. Those that stayed open saw little to no business, with shopkeepers covering their faces.
A vendor at the junction sits in his shop with his face covered to protect himself. Pic/EEshanpriya MS
“I usually earn Rs 1000 selling snacks, on Sunday’s it’s even more, thanks to heavy footfall. Today I’ve made nothing. Earlier, the pigeons stayed inside the kabutarkhana; now they’re everywhere. It’ll take months for things to go back to normal,” said a local food vendor. The state government had on July 4 instructed the BMC to implement its ban on feeding pigeons.
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