Navi Mumbai: Environmental Groups Hail Protection of Key Wetlands in Revised Development Plan

Environmental groups are upbeat that the three major wetlands -DPS Flamingo Lake, NRI and TS Chanakya water bodies at Nerul Navi Mumbai – are safe as per the amendments to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) draft Development Plan. Under the earlier draft the three paces have been marked in blue as water bodies. But CIDCO, in contrast, marked the DPS Lake for future development and NRI Waterbody for the proposed golf course. CIDCO showed TS Chanakya wetland as a residential zone. As per the notification on the proposed amendments issued by the state urban development department, suggestions and objections are to be submitted by August 23. NatConnect Foundation, while welcoming the amendments, launched a campaign to mobilise suggestions to retain the wetland status of the key waterbodies and secure a final seal of approval from the Government.

For the uninitiated, Navi Mumbai cuts into Thane and Raigad districts. The Thane district part from Dighe to Belapur is covered by NMMC. CIDCO, while transferring lands and properties to NMMC, had retained the wetlands in question under its management which the environmentalists opposed. Meanwhile, the state government has already declared DPS Flamingo Lake as a Conservation Reserve and the gazette order is awaited. NatConnect director B N Kumar expressed the happiness that the three major wetlands are safe. He appealed to the State government to quickly notify them as wetlands, along with Lotus Lake at sector-27, Nerul,which CIDCO marked as Plot-2 for residential development and disputed the wetland status.

These wetlands, identified under the National Wetland Inventory Atlas, have already been documented by the National Centre for Coastal Management (NCSCM) as mandated by the State Environment Department and their notification is a mere formality, Kumar pointed out quoting the information obtained by NatConnect under the RTI Act . NMMC itself had proposed to maintain the wetlands as flamingo abodes and eco-tourism destinations, but CIDCO has not responded.  As per the DP, the ongoing real estate development at Sector-60, adjoining the NRI wetland, is retained as a residential zone as per the amendments to the draft DP. The Bombay High Court had earlier in November 2018 struck down the residential-cum-commercial project and the golf course but CIDCO moved the Supreme Court where hearing is pending