Navi Mumbai: Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has directed authorities to take urgent measures to safeguard the natural habitats of flamingos, golden jackals, mongooses, snakes and other wildlife in Navi Mumbai.

A high-level meeting chaired by Minister Naik was held on August 12 at Mantralaya to discuss conservation of the DPS Lake area in Nerul and a proposal to include Sector 52A, Nerul, in the Flamingo Conservation Zone. The meeting was attended by NMMC Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde, CIDCO officials, environmental representatives and other concerned officers.

Minister Naik said that flamingos are integral to Navi Mumbai’s identity and instructed CIDCO and related agencies to prioritise their protection. He further directed that golden jackal habitats identified in the NRI Colony area must also be preserved.

Corporator Netra Shirke, who has been actively supporting local environmental forums and had written to the Forest Minister on the issue, raised concerns at the meeting about recent fencing in Sector 52A.

“The official communication specifically records that Sector 52A is a habitat of jackals, mongooses, snakes and other wildlife, apart from supporting flamingos and other bird species. The fencing recently installed, not only on Plot No. 3 but also on other plots in Sector 52A, raises a serious question,” Shirke said.

Environmental groups welcomed the directive, urging that Sector 52A and DPS Lake be treated as one interconnected ecological landscape. Sunil Agarwal, founder of the Save Navi Mumbai Environment group, said any fencing or activity altering the natural habitat's character must be immediately investigated, given the area is being considered for Flamingo Conservation Zone status.

The fencing issue was earlier reported by Newsband on August 4 under the headline “Residents Demand Ecozone Protection for Nerul Plot.” Environmentalists are now demanding an inquiry into who permitted the fencing and under what provisions, stressing that immediate enforcement and accountability are crucial to prevent irreversible damage.