Navi Mumbai's Flamingo lake area set to triple to 36 hectares; CM Fadnavis's nod awaited

The expansion gains significance amid CIDCO proposal to convert the original 12-hectare lake into a real estate project.

Navi Mumbai: The proposed DPS Flamingo Lake Conservation Reserve in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai is poised for a major expansion—from 12 hectares to nearly 36 hectares—with the final proposal awaiting approval from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The revised plan was submitted to the Chief Minister by the Mangrove Cell and the Forest Department in October 2025, according to information obtained by NatConnect Foundation under the RTI Act.

The expansion gains significance amid City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd’s (CIDCO) proposal to convert the original 12-hectare lake into a real estate project.

The agency has classified the lake as a “plot” and pegged its value at Rs 3,600 crore, based on a market rate of Rs 300 crore per hectare.

CIDCO operates under Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, whose political differences with Forest Minister Ganesh Naik are well known. Naik has consistently maintained that the flamingo habitat must be protected.

Environmentalists remain optimistic, pointing out that Fadnavis had already cleared the conservation reserve proposal at the State Wildlife Board meeting on April 17, 2025. The final government resolution is now expected shortly.

In a statement, NatConnect Director B N Kumar said he is tracking the proposal’s progress through RTI filings. The organisation, along with other conservation groups, has welcomed the expanded plan and urged the state to fast-track formal notification to secure legal protection for the wetland.

Kumar emphasised that flamingos and other migratory birds depend on an integrated ecosystem that includes not just open water, but also feeding grounds, roosting areas, mangroves, and undisturbed tidal habitats.

Sandeep Sareen of Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society said that a larger, legally protected reserve would make commercial development far more difficult while ensuring long-term conservation of biodiversity.

According to the latest georeferenced mapping, the proposed reserve will cover 3,68,784 hectares, comprising a mix of waterbody, dense mangroves, creek stretches, mudflats, and adjoining access areas around the lake. Officials said the expanded boundary brings in northern mangrove belts, creek corridors, and marshy patches near transport infrastructure, helping maintain tidal flow, water exchange, and habitat continuity.

The lake and its surrounding wetlands support rich biodiversity, including migratory flamingos, fish nurseries, and thriving mangrove ecosystems, Rekha Sankhala of Save Flamingos and Mangroves forum said.

She warned that converting this ecologically sensitive wetland into a concrete development would cause irreversible environmental damage and further erode Navi Mumbai’s shrinking wetland heritage.