The party pooper

As the government seeks solutions for the bird dropping problem in its top green-rated building in the capital, avian experts and conservationists suggest ideas to tackle the menace on a national scale

The authorities at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in Delhi, India’s highest green-rated building, seem to be dealing with a whole lot of crap. The courtyard, dotted by plantations and grass, attracts birds. And, with them comes faeces. The bird poop problem has intensified over the years, and last week, the Union environment ministry invited proposals from the public to solve the challenge. “Organisations/Institutes/companies/individuals having technical know-how and past experience may offer a solution, which is environment friendly, technically sound, implementable, operationally feasible, cost effective and ensures labour safety,” the advertisement published on the website read. The one to  come up with the best solution will be awarded Rs 1 lakh.

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Long before the government declared the threat of birds to heritage structures a problem, a team of Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management graduates had begun researching the subject. It took them two years and a slew of trials to come up with their just-launched pigeon repellent spray. “We looked at pigeons, among the bird species specifically because the problem is not about cleanliness alone. Their droppings are a hazard to human health since they contain nitrogenous waste instead of ammonia. That said, we were clear about one thing: our formulations should not harm the birds in any way,” says Puneet Gupta, founder and CEO of Clensta. The Delhi-based startup aims to develop environmentally compassionate products. The issue of transmissible bird diseases associated with pigeons, he says, blew up in 2019 when three lots of MDH sambar masala were recalled from retail stores in California after tests by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed them positive for salmonella. “Their team came to India to investigate the matter but could not locate the cause in the factory. Later, they discovered sites near the factory where pigeons would roost. Once the droppings dry up, bacteria settles on them, eventually contaminating the manufacture of masalas nearby. 

Pigeons sit in a near-deserted Trafalgar Square in London. The feral pigeon population in the country has been a cause for concern for authorities. Pic/Getty Images

Clensta’s pigeon repellent spray, says Gupta, comprises oils and antimicrobial agents that confuse and disorient pigeons to keep them off and away from their nesting sites without causing them harm.   “The technology is based on  the non-non-invasive method. The layer by layer adhering of essential oil-based ingredients helps disorient pigeons without causing harm to the birds or humans.” This formulation, which has the fragrance of lemon grass, is patented by Clensta International and approved by the ethical committee at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Gupta  feels the product has huge potential in places like Agra’s Taj Mahal and Delhi’s Qutub Minar as the restoration for these structures takes a lot of time and need to be protected from bird droppings. “The [restoration] process in such cases requires a lot of investment.”

Rahul Chemburkar, Mumbai-based architect and heritage enthusiast, is all too familiar with the conundrum. “When you talk of statues, the material, whether stone or metal, reacts to bird poop. The droppings become the source of a lot of deterioration in heritage structures because it spurs vegetation growth.” The vines growing on 
historic buildings while quaint looking, can be detrimental to the survival of the structure since these produce acids that dissolve the minerals found in the stone, resulting in the deterioration of the stone’s surface in the long run. “You’ll see small saplings growing, which find their way into crevices. If these are not uprooted, they develop into trees. Sometimes, we even have to redo the masonry because the roots have penetrated deep inside the structure.” 

Rahul Chemburkar, Mumbai-based architect, says the droppings become the source of a lot of deterioration in heritage structures because it spurs vegetation growth

According to Chemburkar, the issue of droppings cannot be viewed in isolation. “The most obvious solution is to hire a resource to clean up the droppings, but the issue goes beyond that. It’s about creating an environment that does not attract the birds in the first place.” In India, achieving this can be complex, because the idea of feeding birds is entwined with culture and religion, he thinks. “This leads to ritualistic activities and the city’s kabutar khanas are a classic example of this.” Chemburkar believes it’s important to undertake a study to ascertain what type of trees attract which variety of birds. “We need to know and study the birds’ nesting patterns. Yes, it will be a slow process, but will definitely be more enduring than temporary measures like putting bird guards, which may prove be harmful to the birds.” 

In India, pigeons, bats and crows fall into the general category of ‘pest bird’ species. 

In London, damage caused by pigeon droppings to monuments in Trafalgar Square is well documented and there have been a number of scientific papers on the problem. 

This year, Puneet Gupta, founder and CEO of Clensta, launched a pigeon repellent spray that he says comprises oils and antimicrobial agents that confuse and disorient pigeons to keep them off and away from their nesting sites without causing them harm

Adesh Shivkar is a veteran birder and founder of Nature India, an eco-tourism firm that specialises in avian tours. 

According to him, the bird-human conflict is limited to only a few species, mainly the blue rock or the feral pigeon, kites and crows. “The government has worded the 
ad diplomatically. They haven’t mentioned which birds are at the root of the problem so as to not hurt sentiments. 

Adesh Shivkar

First, let’s accept that it’s a pigeon problem.” Shivkar believes this is a peculiar urban, man-made issue, driven by rampant feeding of birds and garbage strewn in the open. He says in Europe and the US, red tail hawks and falcons are trained to scare away birds of pest. “Even a dummy of these predators keeps the pests away. But this will help only if you stop feeding them. I call it [feeding] misplaced compassion, because you’re actually interfering with the ecosystem and doing more harm to the birds. Birds are perfectly capable of foraging for their own food. You could  may be keep water bowls. 

If someone is keen on feeding them, let’s shift the feeding places to areas that have no residential localities around.” 

Shivkar believes that we need to plant more trees and create bird-friendly habitat. “Birds have no choice but to find shelter on the ledges of our windows, rooftops, and warehouses, because we have decreased the tree cover. It’s shortsighted of the government to want to find a solution only for the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan; the issue is rampant across structures and metros. Let’s tackle it as a national problem.”

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