Flamingo habitats are facing decline due to poisoning of wetlands in Navi Mumbai. india news
Climate activists have sounded a ‘wetland emergency’ as three key flamingo habitats in Navi Mumbai have turned toxic, with testing of water samples showing worrying results.Activists highlighted the deteriorating condition of the DPS, NRI and TS Chanakya lakes in Nerul, which serve as satellite wetlands for the Ramsar site, Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS).Flamingo season in Navi Mumbai is from November to May, with January to March considered the peak viewing time, as bird lovers and enthusiasts gather at the wetlands to catch a glimpse of the pink parade.In messages to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, activists said testing of water samples conducted by the NetConnect Foundation shows the system is under severe stress.BN Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation, said the warning is reinforced by the absence of flamingos, which have not visited this season.Four basic indicators – TDS, pH, BOD and COD – present a consistent picture of degradation. The results showed hyper-concentrated, stagnant water instead of natural tidal flushing.“Simply put, all four indicators tell the same story – water is not moving the way it should in a healthy intertidal wetland,” Kumar said, pointing to blocked or restricted tidal flow.Instead of being regularly cleaned, wetlands are turning into stagnant, polluted basins.Activists directly blame the failure of governance.“The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is largely responsible for what happened,” said climate activist Nandkumar Pawar. He said regulators like the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and the forest department have “simply looked the other way”.He warned that wetlands are a public asset which is being directly destroyed.Flamingos depend on algae and microorganisms that thrive in balanced conditions. As water quality deteriorates, the food chain collapses, turning pastures into stressed habitats.While flamingos have adapted to degraded sites in the past, their absence now suggests that the system has crossed a critical threshold.“These wetlands were our pride. Today, they are being destroyed in full view,” said Rekha Sankhla of the Save Flamingo and Mangroves Forum. He urged authorities to treat the situation as a public health emergency.Calling for accountability, Sandeep Sarin of Navi Mumbai Environment Protection Society (NMEPS) said the laboratory results highlight “poisoned waters” driven by uncontrolled development.“CIDCO’s indifference – pouring concrete on conservation – is destroying these wetlands despite court orders,” he said, warning that flamingos are “the canary in the coal mine of our ecosystem”. Activist Pamela Cheema said, “CIDCO’s willful neglect at a time of the climate crisis has put groundwater and biodiversity at risk, and we urge immediate government intervention to save these wetlands.”

