BJP MLA Ganesh Naik tells CIDCO, ‘Clear water blocks at Flamingo Lake in a week’

BJP MLA Ganesh Naik at the site along with environmentalists

Joining the environmentalists' campaign to restore the 30-acre DPS Flamingo Lake at Nerul in Navi Mumbai as the migratory bird abode, NGO NatConnect said that the BJP MLA Ganesh Naik has given an ultimatum to CIDCO officials to clear the tidal water chokepoints within a week. According to NGO NatConnect Foundation, the BJP MLA made it clear to CIDCO and civic officials on Thursday, that he himself would drive a heavy machine vehicle and clear the water blocks if the work is not done.

NatConnect said that the MLA also pointed out that the construction of a road to the now unused passenger transport terminal has buried the main water channel to the lake, making it absolutely dry and ‘flamingo-unfriendly'. Environmentalists led Naik to the eight cement pipes through which water used to flow back and forth from the creek till about five years ago, before the construction of the road.

Left aghast by this situation that is detrimental to the environment, Naik did not mince words and blamed certain CIDCO officials for being "more loyal than the king" and blocking water flow to the lake. The ulterior motive appears to be to commercialise the 30-acre space which is also a wetland, he said, declaring, "Ganesh Naik will not allow this to happen".

Speaking with mid-day, Naik said, "Navi Mumbai is known as the flamingo city and many visitors and nature lovers come here to watch the pink visitors. It's our duty to protect them. On Thursday, I visited the DSP lake area and have given an ultimatum to CIDCO officials to clear the tidal water chokepoints within a week, or else I will clear the chokepoints myself."

Director of NatConnect, B N Kumar pointed out that the CIDCO, in its development plan, has already marked the lake for "future development". "It is really unfortunate that the city planner CIDCO is playing with nature and is hell-bent on burying the biodiversity," Kumar said. At NatConnect's insistence, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has asked the state environment department to probe into the charges of sabotaging the lake and submit a report. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court-appointed Mangrove Protection and Conservation Committee has called Kumar for a site inspection on May 29.

Virendrakumar Gandhi and Sandip Sareen from the Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society (NMEPS) informed Naik that the lake is protected by a Bombay High Court order. The HC, on a petition by NMEPS, had directed CIDCO five-and-half years ago to ensure that water flow to the lake was not stopped. "The environmental clearance for the jetty work also clearly stipulated that the water flow and the flora and fauna should not be disturbed. Yet this condition was flouted," Kumar said.

Former corporator and environment lover, Netra Shirke said CIDCO must respect nature and adopt a balanced approach towards urban and real estate development. Noted author Jayant Hudar, who too joined the visit, expressed the hope that wiser counsel would prevail on CIDCO and the lake come alive soon. Rekha Sankhala of Save Flamingos and Mangroves group, said, "The citizens who love the environment fail to understand why CIDCO behaves in such a manner."

May 29
Day mangrove committee will inspect site