"For the past four decades, Mumbai resident Premlata Soni and her husband have fed the pigeons that flock around a reservoir known as the Bandra Lake. Sometimes, it's a few fistfuls of corn and millet grain; sometimes, an entire bag. Even during the pandemic lockdown, Soni would sneak out to feed the birds. She sees it as part of her Hindu faith, a way of showing connection to the world around her. "God wants us to do it," she says."
"For years, the city has tried to battle what they see as the scourge of pigeons a bird that has thrived in a city of skyscrapers by nesting in apartment air ducts and near air-conditioning units. The pigeons have also found patrons in Mumbai residents like Soni. Pigeon feeding is seen as a pastime in this teeming port city of 20 million, a salve to loneliness, a connection to the distant world of nature."
"But in July, amid growing concerns over the number of pigeons calling Mumbai home, the city banned pigeon feeding in public spaces. Authorities fanned out across the city and covered popular feeding spots with blue tarpaulin sheets. They also put up posters warning of respiratory diseases that can be triggered by exposure to pigeon feathers and poop. The crackdown did not deter Soni."
Premlata Soni and her husband have fed pigeons at Bandra Lake for four decades, sometimes supplying a few fistfuls or an entire bag of grain. Soni views feeding as part of her Hindu faith and continued during the pandemic lockdown. Pigeons have thrived in Mumbai by nesting in skyscraper air ducts and near air-conditioning units, and many residents treat feeding as a pastime and emotional solace. The city once designated 51 kabutarkhanas for pigeon feeding but in July banned feeding in public spaces, covered feeding spots, and posted warnings about respiratory diseases from pigeon droppings. Many residents continue to defy the ban.
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