Green groups have welcomed the Maharashtra government's decision to appoint the Aerodrome Environment Management Committee (AEMC). However, they have called for changes to the panel's composition and urged the appointment of a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge as its head.
B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation, raised concerns over allegations of environmental violations against CIDCO. In a letter to the Chief Minister, he argued that the city planner’s Managing Director should not chair the AEMC. Given the significant impact of airport-related environmental issues on people's lives, he emphasized the need for an independent chairman.
Despite commitments from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) and CIDCO to follow Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) recommendations for biodiversity conservation, there have been multiple violations, Kumar stated. He pointed out that major wetlands—crucial habitats for thousands of migratory and local birds—are being systematically destroyed through landfills or blocked intertidal water flow.
Kumar suggested that the committee establish a complaint box to allow alert citizens to report environmental concerns, which officials could then verify and the AEMC could review.
Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti, highlighted that of the six major wetlands identified by BNHS, the one at Belpada was leased to JNPA, while Bhendkhal and Panje were sold to NMSEZ (now NMIIA). Sandeep Sareen of the Navi Mumbai Environmental Preservation Society (NMEPS) added that the DPS Flamingo Lake and NRI Wetlands are in poor condition due to restricted intertidal water flow.
This disruption forces birds to abandon their usual habitats and fly unpredictably, potentially posing risks to flights at NMIA, NatConnect said, citing BNHS studies.
Biodiversity protection was a key condition of NMIA’s environmental clearance, and the airport has committed to complying with these requirements in reports submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC), the environmental watchdog noted.
For context, BNHS was appointed by CIDCO to conduct a Baseline Survey of Avian Fauna from 2012 to 2016. CIDCO also signed a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BNHS, covering a ten-year period ending in 2028. This study aims to monitor and conserve bird populations in NMIA’s vicinity while implementing a Bird Threat Mitigation Plan.
In its compliance report, NMIA expressed concerns about bird sites near the airport, including NRI Colony, Training Ship Chanakya, and Delhi Public School, as they fall within the airport’s Inner Horizontal Surfaces (IHS). However, BNHS reassured stakeholders by citing data visualization, which indicates that birds typically fly well below the aircraft flight path over Thane Creek.