Birdwatchers want flamingo habitat protected after youths’ misbehaviour

The incident, which took place on Saturday, has raised questions on the purpose of NMMC spending lakhs of rupees on building watchtowers without appointing any agency to monitor their use.

Mumbai: Bird watchers and naturalists in Navi Mumbai have demanded that the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) cordon off the direct access to the flamingo habitat at DPS lake in Nerul after four youngsters went close to the birds and pelted stones at them in order to take photographs of the startled birds in flight.

Birdwatchers want flamingo habitat protected after youths’ misbehaviour

The incident, which took place on Saturday, has raised questions on the purpose of NMMC spending lakhs of rupees on building watchtowers without appointing any agency to monitor their use. The municipal body recently constructed five watchtowers, each costing between ₹8 lakh and ₹10 lakh, with the twin objectives of offering bird-watching opportunities and keeping selfie-clicking visitors away from disturbing the habitat. Navi Mumbai attracted an estimated 1.3 lakh flamingos in 2022, and the civic body has been consciously positioning it as Flamingo City.

“The NMMC’s watchtowers are not at all functional,” said activist Jyoti Nadkarni. “The corporation could have very well sought suggestions from environmentalists about the kind of towers to be built. The existing towers can barely accommodate four people at a time, and considering that those visiting the lake are usually avid bird-watchers and photographers, they are likely to spend hours seated in one spot. How will others get a chance?”

Birders and photographers present at the lake on April 9 were taken back when three boys and a girl disturbed the flock of flamingos resting in the lake. The four were seen clapping, pelting stones and indulging in various antics to disturb the birds in their habitat. The youngsters’ activity was shot on video by activists and widely circulated on social media, stoking a major discussion on the need for stringent action against such offenders.

Italian citizen Mirella Marinelli, a frequent visitor to the lake to watch the migratory birds, was one of those upset with the incident and demanded stern action from the authorities. “Navi Mumbai is a goldmine with rich flora and fauna,” she said. “This needs to be preserved. Instead there are senseless individuals trying to cause harm only to get some photographs and reels.”

Mirella has been extremely vocal on social media about the incident. “I was at a distance from the spot where the youngsters were indulging in this foolish act, otherwise I would have spoken my mind,” she said. “I am really hoping that the local authorities take note of these illegal activities and block access to the lake. Or else such incidents will happen regularly.”

Meanwhile, both Nadkarni and another activist, Naresh Singh Chandra, have raised the matter with the Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner as well as the Commissioner of Police. “Without barricading the lakeside and stationing a monitoring agency to make visitors use the watchtowers, this issue will not be resolved,” said Nadkarni. “The concern is not just about the birds’ well-being; direct access to the lake is dangerous even for humans. These are marshlands, and there have been instances of overenthusiastic visitors getting stuck and requiring assistance to come out.”

Additional city engineer (environment) Shirish Aradhwad has assured the activists that he will raise the issue with municipal commissioner Rajesh Narvekar.