Delhi civic body on alert as pigeon faeces pose health risk

Once welcomed as symbols of peace and spiritual offerings, pigeons in Delhi have now turned into an urban menace.

- Paras Singh

A surge in their population—fuelled by unchecked public feeding and grain vendors around traffic islands—is prompting civic authorities to sound the alarm, citing serious health and environmental risks posed by their droppings.

In a letter dated July 8, the public health department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) urged the veterinary department to step in and help curb the unchecked pigeon boom.

Written by the additional municipal health officer, it follows concerns raised during the MCD standing committee meeting on June 27 over the growing nuisance and potential disease threats posed by bird droppings.