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NGT issues notice to Delhi over health and environmental risks from pigeon droppings

Delhi authorities have until October 8 to outline measures targeting pollution from pigeon droppings with a view to easing respiratory hazards.

The plea said pigeon droppings caused serious lung diseases.
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Overview

  • On May 29 the NGT directed the Delhi government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department and other agencies to submit affidavits responding to a plea on pigeon droppings hazards.
  • The plea warns that dried droppings on footpaths, pavements and traffic islands mix with dust when swept, leading to environmental pollution.
  • Exposure to pigeon droppings has been linked to hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a lung disease that can cause scarring and severe breathing difficulties.
  • Responses are due by October 8, ahead of a hearing before a bench led by NGT Chairperson Prakash Shrivastava.
  • The action builds on a 2024 proposal by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to ban pigeon feeding in response to rising bird numbers and related health concerns.