Navi Mumbai: In a major boost to environmentalists' efforts to protect DPS Flamingo Lake in Nerul, Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has assured to push for the lake's designation as a conservation reserve, as recommended by a government committee.
The committee, formed in response to a series of flamingo deaths near DPS Lake and tasked with suggesting measures to safeguard migratory bird habitats, has proposed that the 30-acre wetland be officially recognised as a conservation reserve.
On Friday, B N Kumar, director of the environmental watchdog NatConnect Foundation, met with Naik to emphasize the urgency of the issue. Kumar presented a written appeal along with a copy of the committee’s report, which NatConnect obtained through the RTI Act.
In response, Naik immediately forwarded the letter to Milind Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department, and assured action. "I shall follow this up," he told NatConnect, according to a press release issued by the organization.
The committee has also instructed CIDCO to clear blockages and restore the intertidal water flow to the lake. Despite reminders from the State Mangrove Cell citing the government committee’s report, CIDCO has yet to act. As a result, the waterbody remains clogged with muck and moss, deterring flamingos from visiting, said Sandeep Sareen, an activist with the Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society (NMEPS).
NatConnect also reminded Naik that Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) has committed in official reports to protecting biodiversity around the project area. According to mandatory submissions to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC), both CIDCO and NMIAL are responsible for preserving wetlands, as recommended by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
Given these commitments, NatConnect emphasized that CIDCO has a duty to act in the interest of environmental conservation. However, the organization accused the city planner of being in a state of denial, ignoring its obligations despite mounting concerns.