Fighting a losing battle

destructive

Flamingoes inhabit shallow brackish lakes, mudflats and saltpans, where the salinity is often higher than that in the sea, thus making it an inhospitable place for many other animals. However, some tiny creatures like certain algae, shrimps, molluscs thrive in these shallow waters. Flamingoes with their specialised beaks suitable for ‘filter feeding’, feed on these small life-forms. Two species of flamingo are found in India — Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) and Lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor). Both these species are resident birds of India and breed mainly in the ‘Flamingo City’ in the Great Rann of Kutch of Gujarat and disperse to other locations in the country in winter. However, according to bird experts, some Lesser flamingoes might be migrating from Africa.

Lesser flamingo is considered a ‘near threatened’ species in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In India, majority of its population is found in Gujarat. They are also found in good numbers at Sewri and Bhigwan in Maharashtra and at Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh. Smaller populations of Greater flamingoes are widely distributed from Okhla Bird Sanctuary situated on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border to Kanyakumari, the southernmost district of mainland India. This species is classified as a ‘least concern’ species in the IUCN Red List — meaning its survival is not threatened as of today. 

Birds of a feather...Although there is no official record, birdwatchers and environmentalists say that the flamingoes started coming to Mumbai in large numbers since the 90s. No studies have been conducted to find out the reasons for their visits, but experts suggest that it could be due to increased disturbances in the flamingo habitat in Kutch and/or expansion of area under mudflats around Mumbai. Another theory is that increase in pollution in Mumbai has led to increase in algal population in water bodies around the city, providing more food for the bird. For more than two decades now, flamingoes have been regularly visiting Sewri Mudflats and the Thane Creek area in Mumbai and also the water bodies along Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the BirdLife International have identified Sewri Mudflats as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The BNHS, in collaboration with the Mumbai Port Trust, has launched a five-year programme in 2014 for conservation of flamingoes. Mangrove restoration, studies on flamingo population, creation of awareness and development of capacities of local communities, students, teachers and the masses for conservation of flamingoes are the main aspects of the programme. 

Besides this, the BNHS has also been conducting an annual ‘Flamingo Festival’ for more than a decade to generate awareness and interest about flamingo conservation among general public.

Notification of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary in August 2015 is a noteworthy initiative by the Maharashtra government for conservation of flamingoes. Spread over 1,600 hectares between Airoli and Vashi bridges, on the western bank of Thane Creek, the Sanctuary will be managed by the Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit of the Mangrove Cell of the Forest Department. The study for assessment of biodiversity including flamingoes in the sanctuary area has been taken up by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History and will be completed next month. “In the meanwhile, regular patrolling is being carried out in the sanctuary and fortunately, there have been no reports of poaching of flamingoes in the area,” said N Vasudevan, chief conservator of forests, Mangrove Cell, Mumbai. He also informed that the Forest Department has planned to develop a biodiversity centre on the Navi Mumbai side of the sanctuary.

This centre will allow people to hire boats to go look at flamingoes, he added.Yet the future doesn’t bode well for these flamingoes. The foundation stone for a multipurpose cargo port was laid in December 2015. Touted to be developed in multiple phases, the port will have a ship building and repair yard and a thermal power plant. Location of these activities is alarmingly close to the newly notified sanctuary and such disturbances are likely to cause serious threat to the survival of these birds.

Also, Maharashtra government is aiming at beginning the work of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project in 2016. It is a proposed 22-km road bridge connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. The bridge will begin in Sewri, South Mumbai and cross Thane Creek north of Elephanta Island and will terminate at Chirle village, near Nhava Sheva. State agencies have claimed to have taken all the environment mitigation measures, but there are speculations among birdwatchers and environmentalists that with the commencement of MTHL construction work, a lot of disturbance will be created in and around the bird habitat, consequently affecting the number of flamingoes visiting Sewri mudflats.
 Poaching of flamingoes in Uran tehsil close to Navi Mumbai made the news in 2014. Last year, a couple of injured birds were rescued, again in Uran; they had either accidently hit high tension cable wires or were harmed by poachers. The list seems endless. It is high time the policy makers, government agencies, developers and even the common man take concrete steps to conserve flamingoes, otherwise Mumbai will lose this majestic bird very soon!