Amid the recent spate of deaths of migratory pink birds around DPS Flamingo Lake at Nerul in Navi Mumbai, environmentalists have stumbled on a document that damns CIDCO for rendering the water body dry by blocking the tidal water inlets.

NatConnect Foundation has found out a CIDCO undertaking, while diverting 0.46 hectares of mangroves for the work on the water transport terminal at Nerul, stating that it will not do anything to block the free flow of water from the creek.

In reality, the water inlets have been buried and blocked in the construction of the road to the jetty, NatConnect director B N Kumar said. As many as 10 flamingos died and many were injured as they got disoriented while searching for food which was apparently unavailable in the lake which is nearly dry, he said.

Kumar said he obtained a copy of the undertaking from his sources. CIDCO executive engineer N K Mahale (now retired) confirmed that he signed the document on October 27, 2017 while obtaining  permission for the diversion of the mangroves.

Pointing out that the blocking water inlets is a gross violation of the undertaking, Kumar requested CIDCO City Engineer N C Bias to quickly take action to restore the tidal water flow to DPS Flamingo Lake and save the avian visitors’ abode.

NatConnect, which has already complained to the Chief Minister twice against the environmental violations and the flamingo deaths, once again wrote to the government with the new evidence that confirms violations by CIDCO.

Earlier, the CMO has referred the complaint to Tukaram Mundhe, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, to inquire into the issue.

The government ought to take this seriously and punish CIDCO for the glaring lapse, Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti said.

BNHS deputy director Dr Rahul Khot said it is essential to conserve the wetlands such as the DPS Flamingo Lake as a second home for the pink birds landing at Ramsar site, the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS).

The Mangrove Foundation and TCFS have already listed six wetlands – Bhendkhal, Belpada, Panje in Uran, NRI, TS Chanakya in Nerul and the Bhandup pumping station – as satellite wetlands for the TCFS. Now, DPS Flamingo Lake also serves the same purpose as flamingos fly from TCFS during high tide and land on Navi Mumbai wetlands which are on a higher ground.