Twin towers to spot flamingos at Malad Creek nearly ready for birdwatchers

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has neared completion of a pair of bird-watching towers at Swatantryaveer Savarkar Udyan, near Chincholi Creek

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has neared completion of a pair of bird-watching towers at Swatantryaveer Savarkar Udyan (Mindspace garden), situated behind Chincholi Creek, allowing visitors to observe flamingos and other elusive bird species.

Twin towers to spot avian beauties at Malad Creek nearly ready for birdwatchers

Situated amidst Malad Creek and Creek Road, the garden serves as a recreational hub within the suburb, and the twin bird-watching towers are built at ₹80 lakh.

The twin towers are designed by architect Shraddha Patil of Studio 4. Sanjay Jadhav, acting assistant commissioner of P south ward said, “Numerous enthusiasts and professional birdwatchers have documented rare species in this vicinity, particularly flamingos and other migratory birds near the South West Bank creek, in close proximity to the garden and it would be a treat to sight them from the watchtowers.”

The creek has a good population of waders and migratory birds such as terns, lovers, flamingos, gulls, stunts, shanks, egrets and many other species sighted at Malad Creek.

Vikas Mahajan, a wildlife conservationist’s observations that were taken into account by the BMC, said, “Malad Creek has witnessed many birds visiting the area all through the year. Birds usually seen in the estuary waters of the Mindspace area are either residents, passage migrants, summer migrants or winter migrants. In Mumbai, there was one such habitat in Sewri. Wildlife photographers and birders across India used to come there to click lesser and greater flamingos. Today, the area is closed for common people and hence they have no other alternative than to go all the way to Airoli Creek, District Thane to watch flamingos and other waders.”

Mahajan in his note to BMC said that fortunately there is a good amount of population of migratory birds including both the species of flamingos visiting Mindspace Creek for the last six years.

“The proposed Mindspace Flamingo Point will be a boost for Mumbaikars and wildlife photographers across India to enjoy Birding within Mumbai and click beautiful pictures of the birds that visit the creek. As birding is the best way to come close to nature, this flamingo point will also be a platform to create awareness in the communities to stop throwing garbage in the creek and polluting it with toxic materials,” Mahajan concluded.

Some environmentalists are calling the BMC’s twin watchtowers a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Debi Goenka, executive trustee of Conservation Action Trust said, “The flamingos have been there for many years. But the watchtowers are a complete waste of money. There are hundreds of bird enthusiasts and only two watchtowers. Flamingos are big birds and can be happily watched from ground level. Flamingoes at Thane and Navi Mumbai visit in thousands. So, two watchtowers arbitrarily parked somewhere isn’t going to help very much. The birds will move depending on the tide.”

Goenka said flamingos breed in the Rann of Kutch, and they come to Mumbai in winter and are found in Thane Creek, Navi Mumbai, Uran and Malad.

“BMC should make better use of the money by preventing plastic from entering the Malad Creek by deploying trash booms if they are really worried about flamingos,” added Goenka.

List of birds recorded in the area:

1 Black Winged Stilt

2 Black-headed Gull

3 Black-headed Ibis

4 Black-tailed Godwit

5 Brown-headed Gull

6 Caspian Gull

7 Cattle Egret

8 Common Greenshank

9 Common Redshank

10 Common Sandpiper

11 Common Teal

12 Greater Flamingo

13 Grey Heron

14 Grey Plover

15 Gull Billed Tern

16 Intermediate Egret

17 Lesser Flamingo

18 Little Egret

19 Little Ringed Plover

20 Little Stint

21 Northern Shoveler

22 Pied Avocet

23 Red Wattled Lapwing

24 Terek Sandpiper

25 Whiskered Tern

26 Whimbrel

27 Wood Sandpiper