The campaign to transfer the 30-acre DPS Flamingo Lake to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is gaining traction, thanks to the backing of MLA Ganesh Naik, who has vowed to raise the issue with the government.
The lake recently drew attention when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu notice of flamingo deaths. The birds perished after the waterbody dried up due to the blocking of tidal water flow during the construction of an access road to the Nerul jetty. “CIDCO has violated stipulations imposed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the State Forest Department by obstructing the free flow of tidal water while destroying 0.46 hectares of mangroves for the passenger water transport terminal at Nerul,” explained NatConnect Foundation’s B N Kumar. He added that despite CIDCO’s assurances under the Forest Conservation Act that the water flow would remain unaffected, the main channel on the southern end of the lake was blocked, a fact confirmed by a Forest Department inspection.
Following instructions from Naik, NMMC officials cleared several water choke points. In response, CIDCO filed a police complaint against the civic body and erected signboards around the lake, claiming ownership and warning against trespassing.
The Chief Minister has referred the issue to the Urban Development Department for investigation.
CIDCO, which has already transferred 25 lakes to NMMC, retains control over major wetlands, including DPS Flamingo Lake and the NRI and TS Chanakya wetlands. The growing support for the environmentalists’ cause, spearheaded by Naik’s involvement, signifies a crucial step towards preserving this vital ecological zone.