Law needed to prevent pigeon menace affecting Mysuru Palace: MP YKC Wadiyar

Experts have recommended that the practice of feeding pigeons should stop to protect heritage structures and in light of public health concerns too.

Mysuru: Members of Jain Samaj agreed not to feed pigeons at the North gate of Mysuru Palace during a consultation meet attended by Mysore Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, government officials, stakeholders and the general public on Sunday morning to address the pigeon menace issue.

However, MP Yaduveer felt that it is necessary to have a law to stop the public from feeding pigeons in order to conserve heritage structures around the city, including Mysuru Palace. He also raised public health concerns of diseases being spread through pigeon droppings and feathers, affecting tourist drivers, vendors and pourakarmikas, who clean the space.

He said that the uric acid in the pigeon droppings affects heritage structures, especially rare marbles used to chisel statues of Chamaraja, Krishnaraja and others.

He claimed that he has been witnessing such damage to Mysuru Palace personally for some time now.

After he became MP, he received the first complaint to address the issue from his mother Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and several others.

Mysore-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar holds a consultation meeting with officials, stakeholders and the public related to Pigeon menace, at the North gate of Mysuru Palace on Sunday.

He asserted that the cost of repairing the damage to heritage structures and addressing public health will have to be borne by the Government with tax payers' money. Hence in order to resolve the issue democratically, he had held the consultation meeting. "We can solve several such issues with such meetings," he said.

Prashanth B S of Mysuru Travel Agents Association said that people come to Mysuru to see heritage structures, mainly the Palace. It is not easy to recreate such structures again.

Most of the Mysureans depend on tourism and the Palace directly or indirectly, so citizens should stop feeding pigeons to protect the heritage structures and their livelihood too. "Let them have a domestic pigeon at their home and feed them on their terraces or at Pinjrapole," he said.

Member of Mysore Heritage Experts Committee (HCC) N S Rangaraju said that besides people of Jain Samaj, several people come to the spot for photography sessions and pre-wedding photo shoots. They also feed the birds to celebrate their anniversaries, birthdays or death anniversaries as they feel it is good to feed birds.

During a survey done by the HCC along with Mysore City Corporation, they found that there were more than 100 rodent holes in the parks around the structures of K R Statue, Chamaraja statue and near the Ambedkar statue at Townhall.

As per the survey, these rodents flourished because they were feeding on pigeons. MCC is currently spraying water to wash off pigeon droppings from the statues to prevent any damage. "So it is necessary to stop feeding pigeons in view of protecting heritage structures and the public health issues caused by these rodents too," he said.

BJP SC Morcha President Raghu Kautilya said that if the people don't stop feeding pigeons in a month, they will take up a huge movement 'To Save Palace, Protect Mysuru'.

MCC Commissioner Ashad Ur Rehman Sharieff said that they cannot put a board prohibiting feeding the birds at the spot or impose fines by making a resolution in MCC council. They would deal with it by creating awareness among even tourists through their staff, he said.

President of Mysore Grahakara Parishat, Bhamy V Shenoy said authorities could use clauses of India's constitution regarding to right to life (pigeon droppings being health hazard) and to protect the environment (unintended growth of pigeons affecting natural balance and long term impact on pigeons of losing natural ability to search for feeding) without waiting for specific regulations preventing people from feeding, he said.

Ex MLA L Nagendra also said that he would hold meeting with Jain community members to ensure they stop feeding pigeons here.

A S Pradeep, an environmentalist, said that the pigeons at this spot are Indian Blue pigeons and they come under Wild life Conservation Act. They don't depend on public feeding. They should not be fed, just like wild animals in the forest need not be fed. He said that forest officials should check the practice.

DCF (territorial), Mysuru Division K N Basavaraju said that they will check which category of pigeons are inhabiting heritage spots, and if they are wild, then they will do whatever possible they can to bring stop people from feeding them.