Mumbai's Panje wetland brims with life again; villagers net huge fishes, crabs

The quality of fish caught is so good that they fetch over Rs 400 a kg in the market, a fisherman said

In a successful conservation story, the Panje wetland in Uran in Raigad district across Mumbai harbour has come back to life with the resumption of free flow of tidal water.

The water started attracting migratory birds after a gap of close to two years and the fishing community too started having a good catch.

“This signals the tremendous potential the wetland has,” said Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishthan.

Crabs and fish are found in the saline water and most importantly, they breed in the adjoining mangroves, said Pawar, who hails from the fisherfolk community.

He added, "The quality of fish caught here is so good that they fetch over Rs 400 a kg in the market, crabs sell at over Rs 1,800 a kg and lobsters Rs 700 a kg."

“This wetland with its fantastic biodiversity can contribute to the socio-economic development of the fishing community-dominated four villages – Panje, Diongari, Funde and Bokadvira - surrounding the 289-hectare water body,” said B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.

Studies by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have shown that over 50 species of birds numbering close to 2,00,000 land at the Panje wetland during the October-May season of avian flights via the Central Asian Flyway.

Supporting the NatConnect idea of conserving the wetland as a Biodiversity Park of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), BNHS director Bivash Pandav said, "Panje is best suited for these birds... we must conserve it at any cost."

NatConnect has appealed to the State Government to implement its decision taken in December 2015 to maintain Panje (and NRI/TSC wetlands) as bird sanctuaries.

The Wildlife Board, presided over by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had taken such a decision. Fadnavis himself had posted this on CM’s official Facebook page.

BNHS correspondence with the Fadnavis government also showed that the decision to conserve Panje wetland has already been taken. The Shiv Sena, which leads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government now, was also part of the BJP-Sena alliance government.

Any delay would only cause damage to the biodiversity property, Pawar said and pointed out that vested interests have managed to block tidal water entry and exit at Panje wetland to render it dry to suit plans to convert the place into a concrete jungle. It was at Pawar’s instance, the National Green Tribunal had ordered the clearing of the choke points at Panje, he said.

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