Jaipur residents defy ban on feeding pigeons

Jaipur, Apr 28 (UNI) City residents and several NGOs are defying the ban on feeding the pigeons in Ram Niwas Bagh here, saying it is inhuman to let the birds go without food and water.

Ignoring the ban, activists of People For Animals (PFA) are continuing to feed the pigeons in the park, which they say has been a daily ritual in the garden for over 250 years now.

The state government had imposed a ban on feeding the pigeons in front of the under-renovation Albert Hall, saying the pigeon droppings were ruining the priceless wall paintings and other objects inside the museum.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's plan to use falcons to scare away pigeons from the museum and garden met with opposition from animal activists and city residents, making the government backtrack on the issue.

PFA president B L Bajaj told UNI, ''We will continue to feed the pigeons in the park although not in front of Albert Hall as police is keeping a watch there. So we chose other areas like the back of the museum and other corners in the huge garden.'' ''We have vehemently opposed the government's move to use falcons to scare away the pigeons from the Albert Hall, including complaining to the police and handing over a memorandum to the state government official, which we think has set the government thinking,''PFA district chief Suraj Ziddi said.

At least 100 PFA activists are meeting at Ram Niwas Bagh tomorrow morning to decide on their next strategy.

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