<p>Navi Mumbai: The winter-summer avian guest flamingos have begun to arrive in Mumbai kindling enthusiasm among environment lovers.</p><p>Environmentalists say the pink birds are much fewer in number when compared to previous seasons.</p><p>Just about two dozen flamingos were noticed at Vashi and T S Chanakya wetland in Nerul over the past couple of days, NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar said, adding that the numbers are expected to rise over the next month or so, he said.</p><p>In the Mumbai region, they begin to arrive in October-November and stay till about June when the monsoon sets in.</p><p>Flamingos literally swarm the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), which is the only Ramsar site – a wetland of international significance.</p><p>However, over the years, their number has been reducing as per the statistics from BNHS that show close to 1.3 lakhs in 2022, as opposed to around 4.5 lakh birds five years ago.</p><p>Green groups are concerned over the deterioration of flamingo destinations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) over the past few years.</p>.Blinding LED lamps at DPS Flamingo Lake in Navi Mumbai to be replaced.<p>The Thane creek itself gets polluted with industrial and urban effluents and despite repeated complaints over the little or no action from the authorities, Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti lamented.</p><p>Out of the six wetlands in Navi Mumbai, three – Belpada, Bhendkhal and Panje in Uran - have been destroyed by landfill and blocking of intertidal water flow. Stagnant water with plenty of moss and muck at NRI wetland and DPS Flamingo Lake makes the water bodies highly unfriendly for flamingo.</p><p>Several flamingos have in fact died in May-June as they strayed outside the wetlands and onto main roads, probably in search of food as the DPS lake dried up due to the blocking of intertidal water flow by vested interests. </p><p>Navi Mumbai has acquired the nickname of flamingo city and this identity faces crisis now, Kumar said. </p>
<p>Navi Mumbai: The winter-summer avian guest flamingos have begun to arrive in Mumbai kindling enthusiasm among environment lovers.</p><p>Environmentalists say the pink birds are much fewer in number when compared to previous seasons.</p><p>Just about two dozen flamingos were noticed at Vashi and T S Chanakya wetland in Nerul over the past couple of days, NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar said, adding that the numbers are expected to rise over the next month or so, he said.</p><p>In the Mumbai region, they begin to arrive in October-November and stay till about June when the monsoon sets in.</p><p>Flamingos literally swarm the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), which is the only Ramsar site – a wetland of international significance.</p><p>However, over the years, their number has been reducing as per the statistics from BNHS that show close to 1.3 lakhs in 2022, as opposed to around 4.5 lakh birds five years ago.</p><p>Green groups are concerned over the deterioration of flamingo destinations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) over the past few years.</p>.Blinding LED lamps at DPS Flamingo Lake in Navi Mumbai to be replaced.<p>The Thane creek itself gets polluted with industrial and urban effluents and despite repeated complaints over the little or no action from the authorities, Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti lamented.</p><p>Out of the six wetlands in Navi Mumbai, three – Belpada, Bhendkhal and Panje in Uran - have been destroyed by landfill and blocking of intertidal water flow. Stagnant water with plenty of moss and muck at NRI wetland and DPS Flamingo Lake makes the water bodies highly unfriendly for flamingo.</p><p>Several flamingos have in fact died in May-June as they strayed outside the wetlands and onto main roads, probably in search of food as the DPS lake dried up due to the blocking of intertidal water flow by vested interests. </p><p>Navi Mumbai has acquired the nickname of flamingo city and this identity faces crisis now, Kumar said. </p>