Joining the campaign is actor John Abraham, who recently wrote to the Mumbai collector seeking a ban on horse-carts on city roads.

'He was told that the issue falls under the purview of the traffic department, so he approached them. They, in turn, said the matter concerns the Mumbai collector. In this blame-game, the horses continue to suffer,' said PETA spokesman Sachin Bangera.

An investigation by PETA revealed that the horses are fed unwholesome food and polluted water.

'Stables are often damp, filthy, infested with insects and rodents, many horses are forced to work long hours in the blazing sun without any relief,' Bangera said.

There are about a couple of hundred horses which are allowed to ply on certain Mumbai roads, beaches, parks and other areas, mainly for the benefit of tourists and children.