Ramsar tag plea for Powai wetland: Centre asks Maharashtra to take the lead

Environmentalists had petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue

Mumbai: Responding to environmentalists’ plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the Powai lake wetland in Mumbai a Ramsar site, the Centre has asked the Maharashtra State Wetland Authority (SWA) to take necessary action on priority and submit an action-taken report.

Following a complaint to the Prime Minister from NatConnect Foundation over the fast-deteriorating state of the lake, an official from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) clarified that the onus of recommending Ramsar status lies with the Maharashtra government, after which the Centre can process the proposal.

Accordingly, the Ministry has written to the Maharashtra State Wetland Authority (SWA), directing it to act on priority and report back.

A Ramsar site is a wetland recognised under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, of which India is a signatory. 

The status is awarded to wetlands that are important for ecology, biodiversity and local livelihoods, and it brings global attention, stronger protection norms and scientific management support. 

India currently has 93 Ramsar sites, but Maharashtra has only three — Lonar lake in Buldhana, Nandur Madhameshwar in Nashik, and the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary in Mumbai — while Tamil Nadu has the largest number at 20. Ramsar status does not halt development, but it ensures that conservation and ecological health are prioritised in all planning and management decisions.

NatConnect had approached the Prime Minister’s Office seeking the Ramsar tag for the 210-hectare waterbody, stressing its ecological importance and the urgent threat of degradation. The Powai lake wetland is home to the Indian marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) and several vulnerable species listed on the IUCN Red List. More than 100 bird species have also been recorded here, according to ongoing observations by IIT-Bombay birders.

NatConnect Director B N Kumar said in his complaint that despite its significance, the wetland is being steadily damaged due to the daily discharge of an estimated 18 million litres of untreated sewage and the unchecked spread of water hyacinth. Encroachments and construction pressures are also shrinking its natural buffer.

Kumar pointed out that while Powai lake features in the ISRO-listed National Inventory of Wetlands Assessment (NIWA), it has not yet been formally notified under the Wetlands Rules, leaving it without enforceable protection.

“Powai lake is choking, and we are running out of time,” he said. “Ramsar status will ensure accountability, scientific restoration and global oversight. Delay only benefits polluters and encroachers.”

Local environmental groups say the lake’s decline has become stark over the past decade. Algal blooms, sludge accumulation and loss of native species have been widely reported, even as the wetland’s ecological footprint continues to shrink.

Pamela Cheema, chairperson of the BMC-appointed Advanced Local Management Committee for the Powai area, said the lake and its nearly 600-hectare catchment play a critical role in groundwater recharge, local climate moderation and flood mitigation.

“This is not just an aesthetic waterbody; it is a living ecosystem. Protecting Powai Lake is essential to safeguarding Mumbai’s ecological resilience,” Cheema said.

In its communication to the SWA, the MoEF&CC reiterated that under the Wetlands Rules, the State must demarcate the wetland boundary using accurate digital mapping, define its zone of influence, document its ecological character, record existing rights, specify permitted and regulated activities, and establish enforcement and monitoring systems. After completing these steps and public consultation, the wetland must be notified in the Official Gazette within 240 days, the Ministry said.

The letter, signed by Wetlands Division scientist Pankaj Verma, directed the SWA to treat the matter as a priority and send its report to the applicant with a copy to the Ministry.

Appreciating the Centre’s response, Kumar said the State government must now act without delay. “The Centre has acknowledged the urgency. The responsibility now rests squarely with Maharashtra. Powai lake cannot wait any longer,” he said.