Even after 2.5 months of State Mangrove Cell's request, DPS Flamingo Lake remains unsuitable for migratory birds

Even two and a half months after the State Mangrove Cell’s request to CIDCO to restore the inter-tidal water flow to DPS Flamingo Lake

Navi Mumbai: Even two and a half months after the State Mangrove Cell’s request to CIDCO to restore the inter-tidal water flow to DPS Flamingo Lake, the wetland remains “detrimental” to the migratory birds, information received under the RTI Act shows.

NatConnect Foundation, which filed the RTI application, on Thursday expressed regret that CIDCO has not acted even on the State Mangrove Cell’s concern over blocking the water flow.

A high-level government committee formed in the wake of a spate of flamingo deaths decided on September 23 to recommend the Conservation Status of DPS Lake. It also asked CIDCO to keep the water inlet points 3 and 4 open. CIDCO was part of the committee headed by the Forest Secretary.

Following the news reports of flamingos dying at the polluted DPS Lake in November 2023, the Central government decided to form a committee to recommend the Conservation Status of the Lake and also to ascertain the cause of flamingo deaths.

The committee, which met on September 23, also decided that the State Mangrove Cell may report the status of compliance of the committee decisions to the Central government.

The committee also had members from the Union Environment Ministry, Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board, CIDCO and the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development-1.

NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar had sought via the RTI Act “information on the steps taken to ensure uninterrupted flow of water in and out of the lake so that it becomes attractive once again for the flamingos.”

Flamingos, which used to flock to the lake in large numbers, have been skipping their abode as the stagnant water has become unsuitable for them.

The State Mangrove Cell has responded to Kumar stating that it has written to the CIDCO Managing Director reminding him of the Government Committee’s decision to keep the water flow to and out of the DPS Lake open and protect the flamingo habitat.

CIDCO and the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development-1 were also members of the committee which conducted a joint visit to the site. CIDCO maintained at the committee meetings that the DPS Lake issue was pending at the Supreme Court.

The mangrove cell letter to CIDCO MD, signed by its head S V Ramarao, highlighted the committee’s decision that pending the Court decision, the “water level in the lake will be maintained and thus the habitat of flamingos at the DPS lake site will not be affected”.

A mangrove cell inspection of the lake, however, showed that the lake water remained stagnant as the pipes were blocked leading to the growth of algae on half of the waterbody, Ramarao said.

The mangrove cell head noted that the current situation is “detrimental to this flamingo habitat”. This vindicates the environmentalists' concern over the rotten state of the wetland, Kumar said.

Citing that the lake is under CIDCO’s possession, the mangrove cell asked CIDCO to take “necessary steps to remove the obstructions from the pipes” and ensure “proper flow of water into the lake which is necessary to maintain the important flamingo habitat”.

The National Green Tribunal is now seized of the DPS Lake flamingo death issue after taking a suo moto notice of the news reports. “We will raise the CIDCO’s inaction that is damaging the biodiversity,” Kumar, who filed an intervention application at the tribunal said.