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Navi Mumbai Wetlands Face Degradation, Threatening Flamingo Habitats, Activists Warn
Activists are warning that Navi Mumbai's wetlands are turning toxic, which threatens the flamingo habitats. Water sample tests indicate a system under severe stress, and the absence of flamingos this season reinforces the warning.
Water sample tests, commissioned by the NatConnect Foundation, have led activists to send messages to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. According to B. N. Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation, the absence of flamingos this season reinforces the warning. Tests of four basic indicators—TDS, pH, BOD, and COD—reveal a consistent picture of decline, showing over-concentrated, stagnant water rather than natural tidal flushing. Kumar stated that the indicators tell the same story: the water is not moving as it should in a healthy intertidal wetland because the tidal flow is blocked or restricted. Climate activist Nandakumar Pawar said that the City And Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is largely responsible for what has happened. Pawar added that regulators such as the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and the forest department have ignored the issue, and he warned that the wetlands are a public asset being destroyed.
Key Facts
- Navi Mumbai's flamingo season spans November to May, with peak viewing between January and March.
- The NatConnect Foundation commissioned water sample tests that indicate a system under severe stress.
- Flamingos have not arrived this season.
- Four basic indicators—TDS, pH, BOD, and COD—paint a consistent picture of decline in the wetlands.
- The test results showed over-concentrated, stagnant water.
- Activists cite blocked or restricted tidal flow as a cause.
- Activists have sent messages to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
- Flamingos depend on algae and microorganisms.