The hard work and patience of the environmentalists of Navi Mumbai in safeguarding the Talawe Lake for Flamingos would now get recognised at International level due to a photograph clicked by international award winning photographer Sreekumar Krishnan. A photo that he randomly clicked on May 31, 2023 at the lake of the flamingos at the backdrop of NRI Complex buildings, was selected as one of 46 winning entries globally. The photo won in the 9th Mangrove Photography Awards in the year 2023 and has been put up on display at Abu Dhabi. “The winning photos are always displayed the next year. The photos that have won this year in the competition would be displayed next year,” Krishnan said.
Photographer Sreekumar Krishnan
The photograph clicked is called as ‘The window view – a co-existence’. It has a thousand flamingos flying into the Talawe Lake in Navi Mumbai with the NRI Complex in the backdrop, and is on display in large format at Abu Dhabi at the Manarat Al Saadiyat art gallery from 2 Dec 2024 to Feb 2025. “The photograph measuring 46.8 x33.1 inches, signifies the grit and determination, of hope and success by a handful of citizens of Navi Mumbai fighting hard to protect the inter tidal lakes of Navi Mumbai which provide sanctuary to 150,000 flamingos migrating every year into Navi Mumbai,” Krishnan added.
Over the past three years, Krishnan has been actively involved in highlighting and raising the awareness of the Navi Mumbai mangroves and wetlands through his photography and films.
“It was a beautiful sight to behold thousands of flamingos flying in the evening that day on 31 May 2023, around 7:24 pm. Batches of lesser and greater flamingos flew into the Talawe, NRI Lake in Navi Mumbai, seeking refuge from the high tides at the Karave coast.
It is important that the wetlands, mangroves and the bio diversity is protected and if my image can generate the awareness and necessity to protect beautiful nature, then I am happy to have contributed to the larger good of the planet,” he added.
The exhibition will have thousands of residents and visitors from around the world, and will be the first exhibit of its kind in the Middle East and Gulf region. The exhibit aims to promote the appreciation of mangrove and coastal ecosystems and raise awareness about their values, including their role in fighting climate change, and is being produced in collaboration with Mangrove Action Project, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and its Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and UNESCO.
The exhibit will open ahead of the International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference, which will take place in Abu Dhabi from December 10th to 12th, 2024.
Krishnan used to stay across the lakes in Navi Mumbai and moved back in September 2022 to Bangalore, but would continue to visit every month for his conservation documentary film on flamingos of Navi Mumbai- ‘Chalo Chanakya’.
