NAVI MUMBAI: In a bid to protect the 30-acre DPS Flamingo Lake as a conservation reserve, a group of environmentalists formed a silent human chain along the water body on World Wetlands Day, Sunday.
“Our message is loud and clear—this wetland must be cleaned up immediately, and the intertidal water flow restored,” said B N Kumar, director of the NatConnect Foundation.
Despite Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) pledging to preserve biodiversity around the project site, wetlands like DPS Flamingo Lake are being deliberately destroyed by vested interests, Kumar alleged.
Activists held placards with messages such as Wetlands Are Not Wastelands, Save Flamingo Homes – Our Wetlands, Protect Nature – It Will Protect You, Don’t Turn Pink Lake Into Red, and Flamingos Homeless in Flamingo City.
Former MLA Sandeep Naik, who joined the human chain, praised the activists and vowed to take up the issue at the appropriate forum. “I cannot be a silent spectator to this environmental destruction,” he said, commending citizens for their concern.
As per a Supreme Court ruling, intertidal wetlands are protected, and areas up to the high tide line must be preserved. Additionally, a high-level committee appointed by the State Forest Ministry had previously decided to designate the lake as a conservation reserve, Kumar pointed out.
An environmentalist delegation is scheduled to meet Forest Minister Ganesh Naik tomorrow to stress the need for protecting DPS Flamingo Lake as a crucial part of the city’s biodiversity.
The event saw participation from women, senior citizens, Rotary Club members, and students from local colleges and schools. Many bird lovers passing by stopped to read the activists’ placards and banners, showing their support.
Sandeep Sareen, an activist from the Navi Mumbai Environmental Preservation Society (NMEPS), affirmed that the forum would take all necessary steps to restore and maintain the lake as a conservation reserve.