Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik presented with list of recommendations that include cleaning the water body of muck and moss
The committee was appointed in the wake of a series of flamingo deaths
In a boost to environmentalists’ drive to save DPS Flamingo Lake in Nerul in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has promised to pursue a government committee recommendation to declare the 30-acre wetland a conservation reserve.
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The committee, appointed in the wake of a series of flamingo deaths in the vicinity of the DPS Lake, and to suggest ways to preserve the migratory bird habitats, has decided to recommend to the government to declare the water body as a conservation reserve.
NGO NatConnect Foundation director BN Kumar called on Naik on Friday to impress upon him to take up the issue and save the Nerul wetland and presented him a series of suggestions in writing, along with a copy of the government committee report that NatConnect obtained via the RTI Act route.
Forest Minister Ganesh Naik (left) received a series of suggestions in writing from NatConnect director BN Kumar
Naik immediately marked the letter to Milind Mhaiskar, additional chief secretary, forest department. Naik told NatConnect that he would follow it up, the not-for-profit platform said in a press release.
The committee also asked CIDCO to clear the choke points and release the intertidal water flow to the lake. The State Mangrove Cell has also reminded CIDCO recently of the government committee’s report. Yet the city planner has not acted and the water body remains filthy with a lot of muck and moss as a result of which flamingos have been skipping the lake, Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society (NMEPS) activist Sandeep Sareen said.
NatConnect also pointed out to Naik that the Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) has committed in its reports to the Centre that the biodiversity around the project area would be protected.
The mandatory reports submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) also said CIDCO and NMIAL will take steps to preserve the wetlands as suggested by BNHS. This puts added responsibility on CIDCO to act in the interest of the environment but the city planner has been in a denial mode, NatConnect said.
“I feel very sad to see the lake being sabotaged by vested interests,” said Rekha Sankhala of Save Flamingos and Mangroves forum. “We thank Mr Naik for his efforts and are confident that the flamingo abode will soon be saved,” she added.
Writer and author Jayant Hudar said it is important that the government committee’s recommendations are implemented “without much delay” as “we are in the middle of the flamingo season”. He too expressed the confidence that the DPS Flamingo Lake would bloom with the pink birds again soon with the efforts of the forest minister.
Those who violate the environmental laws and court rulings must not be allowed to go scot free, said Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti. “It is high time the irresponsible officials are made accountable whoever and wherever they are,” he said.
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