National Green Tribunal takes suo motu note of Navi Mumbai flamingo deaths, issues notices to officials

Navi Mumbai: Taking suo motu note of the flamingo deaths around DPS Flamingo Lake at Nerul in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai, the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to CIDCO, the state forest department and the wetland authority.

“The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance of the environmental norms, especially compliance of the provisions of the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017; Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,” the NGT remarked.

The bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Dr Afroz Ahmad transferred the case to the Western Zonal and fixed July 17 for the hearing.

The NGT noted that the news report said based on preliminary observations that preliminary observations that two out of three inlets of the lake were blocked by the newly constructed high-rise roads by City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) which resulted in stagnant water, disregarding the fact that flamingos typically inhabit areas with flowing water.

The NGT also took note of the news report that CIDCO has disregarded the Bombay High Court judgement to protect the lake and on the contrary earmarked it for future development.

The news report also said that the defunct Nerul Jetty constructed by CIDCO serves no purpose and is instead blocking the inlets, thereby destroying the natural habitat of these birds. As the habitat of these migratory birds is threatened, flamingos are increasingly found aimlessly roaming on the streets, endangering their lives.

The news item further states that death of the flamingos can be attributed to a scientific phenomenon called ‘light pollution’, which partially impairs the vision of the birds due to their fragile eyes. It states that the newly installed LED lights disorient and misguide the birds while flying, which then happen to crash with random objects and get injured, the NGT order said.

Hence, the NGT impleaded the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-Nagpur, Maharashtra Wetland Authority, CIDCO, and Thane district Collector directing them to file their responses before the western zonal bench.

Environmentalists hailed NGT for its quick response to the concerns raised by them following the flamingo deaths.

NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar pointed out that CIDCO has also violated its own undertaking that the intertidal water flow would not be impacted due to the work on the passenger water terminal at Nerul.

This is also a violation of the conditions stipulated in the environmental clearance granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Government Order by the state to ensure that the water flow and the fauna are intact.

Rekha Sankhala of Save Flamingos and Mangroves Forum said the officials responsible for adversely impacting the flamingo abode must be held accountable.