Navi Mumbai : Over the last few months, the Nat Connect Foundation has been urging the authorities to halt the destruction of DPS Flamingo Lake in the Nerul NRI area. In response, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change instructed the state on Friday to investigate the matter and furnish a report.
The Nat Connect Foundation had notified the Center's Environment and Forests Department that the flamingo habitat was facing imminent destruction, with flamingos perishing due to CIDCO's breach of the conditions set in the environmental clearance of the passenger terminal at Nerul. One of the conditions stipulated that CIDCO must not disrupt the natural intertidal water flow.
However, the water channels leading to the lake have been filled, obstructing the flow of intertidal water to the lake. Consequently, the DPS lake has dried up, resulting in the death of 10 flamingos in recent accidents and leaving some others injured. CIDCO is accountable for the demise of the flamingos; their negligence led to the cessation of tidal water flow in the lake, triggering a series of flamingo mishaps.
An email from the Centre's Impact Assessment Department has tasked the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority with investigating the issue and responding to both the complainant and the ministry. Once again, concerns have been raised regarding CIDCO's lackadaisical approach to protecting the flamingo habitat.
A specialized team from the State Mangrove Cell recently inspected the lake and reported on CIDCO's negligence. Further more, the Principal Secretary of the Animal Husbandry and Environment Department has been directed to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the matter. The focus is now on rectifying all obstacles in the lake and ensuring the unimpeded flow of intertidal water, as advocated by Sandeep Sarin of the Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Group.