Maharashtra Govt's Initiative To Preserve Flamingo Lake After Many Deaths

The Maharashtra government has decided to save the Flamingo Lake in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, after numerous flamingos died there recently. This was announced in a Government Resolution (GR) by the Revenue and Forest Department. Environmentalists have been fighting to protect the 30-acre DPS Flamingo Lake.

A high-level committee has been formed by the government to find ways to preserve the lake as a natural habitat for flamingos. The committee is led by the principal secretary of the Forest Department. The additional principal chief conservator of forests (Mangrove Cell) serves as the member secretary.

Other members include Pravin Pardesi, Chairman of the Bombay Natural History Society, the CEO of the Maharashtra Maritime Board, the principal secretaries of the Environment and Urban Development departments, the managing director of CIDCO, the municipal commissioner of Navi Mumbai, and the CEO of the Maharashtra Maritime Board. 

The lake is currently full due to the active monsoon. But it was completely dry in April, leading to the deaths of over ten flamingos. Reports suggest that CIDCO's construction of an access road to the now-closed Nerul jetty resulted in major water inlets to the lake being buried.

Additionally, other inlets along the eastern side of the bund were clogged. NatConnect had filed multiple complaints against CIDCO for violating environmental clearance requirements related to the diversion of 0.46 hectares of mangroves for the jetty project. 

These complaints were lodged with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MOEFFC) and the Chief Minister. According to information received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the jetty for the passengers did not have state environmental clearance.

Ganesh Naik, the MLA for Airoli, has agreed with the environmentalists' cause. He instructed the city government to remove all obstacles and restore DPS Flamingo Lake. However, CIDCO reported NMMC to the police for excavating the choke sites without obtaining prior consent. Green organisations criticised this action as unreasonable.