Feeding of birds in public places may not turn out to be an act of kindness. It spoils the area with droppings and attracts rodents. Experts say it is also harmful to birds as it expose them to a host of diseases including salmonella, trichomonosis (also known as trichomoniasis) and bird flu.
Now Muscat Municipality has flagged the practice in open spaces and sidewalks where people spread grains and other food residue mostly for pigeons and other birds, which poses risks to public health and spoils aesthetic appearance of open spaces.
“The risk is there where such practice is carried out randomly,” said the source.
The municipality is working on a mechanism to raise awareness in the Muscat city area.
The practice of feeding birds results in bad smell, bad spots due to bird droppings and possibility of breeding of insects and parasites that cause health issues.
The municipality has exhorted people to stop the practice of feeding the birds in public places and sought cooperation from land lords and tenants.
It also urged owners of buildings to prevent breeding of birds on balconies and rooftops.
Feeding birds in some locations, near multi-storey buildings, has led to situations where birds take shelter in balconies, external units of air-conditioners causing damage.
Visitors and residents of buildings also complain of unpleasant smells of bird droppings or even interruption of some services due to damages to electrical and communication cables. This can also affect the owners of the buildings negatively due to a lack of interest from existing and new tenants to stay at the property.
Feeding birds in public squares also leads to accumulation of grain and food residues in open areas over time causing nuisance to passersby and others who go for walking or exercise. It also add to the burden of the municipality, which spends thousands of rials every year to clean public places.
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