Navi Mumbai, celebrated as the Flamingo City for its spectacular annual visits by pink-winged birds, is confronting an existential ecological threat. The very identity of this satellite township is in jeopardy as its crucial wetlands, mangroves, and mudflats languish without legal safeguards, trapped in bureaucratic limbo.
Campaign for Recognition Meets Bureaucratic Wall
In October 2021, the city-based NatConnect Foundation initiated the Flamingo City campaign to spotlight the need for habitat protection. This push led the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to seek recognition under the Swachh Bharat mission, aiming to bolster its green credentials. However, the critical step of formally notifying these wetlands under the Environmental Protection Act remains stalled.
Despite housing the famous Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary between Vashi and Airoli, which attracts close to a lakh of flamingos each winter, the necessary orders from the Union Environment Ministry are still pending. B N Kumar, director of NatConnect, states that this delay leaves the ecosystems vulnerable to encroachment and irreversible damage, with time running out for conservation.
CIDCO's Role and the Shrinking Wetlands
A central figure in this crisis is the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO). Originally mandated to develop Navi Mumbai responsibly, critics now label it a primary agent of wetland destruction. Nandakumar Pawar, director of Sagar Shakti, points to Uran, once Maharashtra's most biodiverse coastal zone, as a tragic example of damage inflicted in the name of development.
The ecological assault is widespread. Holding ponds in Dronagiri meant for flood control have been sold for construction. Vital bird habitats in Uran, including Dastan Phata Jasai, Bhendkhal, Belpada, and Savarkhar, have been buried under landfill by various agencies and the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone. Even the massive 289-hectare Panje wetland, listed in the National Wetland Inventory, remains without protection.
Flamingos Displaced, Research Blocked
As their natural habitats vanish, flamingos are increasingly seeking refuge in alternative sites like the DPS, NRI, and TS Chanakya lakes in Nerul. Ironically, efforts to study and protect them are also being hindered. In 2021, security personnel from the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone barred the Bombay Natural History Society from accessing the Panje wetland for crucial research on bird flight paths related to the new international airport.
Amid the gloom, there are glimmers of hope. Conservationists are encouraged by the state government's plan to declare DPS Lake a conservation reserve and urge similar status for NRI and TS Chanakya wetlands. The Wildlife Institute of India's management plan for the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary recommends safeguarding all intertidal wetlands, a view supported by the State Mangrove Foundation and BNHS, which emphasize these areas' role as vital high-tide shelters.
While the municipal corporation has shown willingness to maintain these wetlands, CIDCO has rejected protection proposals, designating them as land parcels for development. This stance clashes with national records and the Union Environment Ministry's clarification that only the State Wetland Authority can certify wetlands. The battle for Flamingo City's soul continues, with its iconic pink visitors caught in the crossfire.
