Governing bodies are called upon by activist to have comprehensive plan for conserving not just DPS lake but also the neighbouring waterbodies which are the natural habitats of flamingos in Navi Mumbai.”From the information available under RTI it seems that the committee has worked on piecemeal solution by concentrating only on DPS lake but ignoring NRI wetland & T S Chanakya wetlands in the adjoining area which needs similar protection,” Sunil Agarwal, Founder of Save Navi Mumbai Environment Group, said.
Authorities focussing only on the conservation and preservation of DPS lake wetlands is suggested to prove detrimental to the environment especially for the upcoming international airport.These wetlands serving as resting place for thousands of flamingos is one of primary reason for activist seeking for all encompassing conservation plan. “As per Study conducted by BNHS any destruction of these wetlands will result in flamingos moving towards upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport which can result in bird hit endangering safety of air passengers,” said Agarwal.The Emirate bird strike resulting in death of around 39 flamingos in Mumbai this year, is suggested to be a stark reminder to not to disturb the roosting sites of flamingos.
“It is still not too late to rectify the situation and committee should recommend measures to declare of all these three water bodies as conservation reserve. The probability of dangerous bird hits due to disorientation and as a result change its pathways of migration will increase manifold if these waterbodies including TS Chanakya and NRI wetlands are not preserved from destruction, ” added Agarwal.Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, (TCFS) Management Plan (2019-20 to 2029-30) prepared by the Divisional Forest Officer, Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit (MMCU) published in 2020 has listed six wetland and as per this report T S Chanakya wetland and NRI wetland both situated in Nerul, navi mumbai are part of that list.
“Residents of Navi Mumbai are hopeful that these reports will be considered by the committee in the meetings and deliberations to prepare a management plan for securing the natural habitat of flamingos in the DPS lake and surrounding area in Nerul and to recommend measures for its implementation,” he added further.
