Thane flamingo sanctuary gets two more wetlands

The Bombay Natural History Society has added two more wetlands – at Kharghar and Nerul – to the list of six water bodies to be conserved under the satellite wetland management plan

With a sharp focus on the safety of birds and aircraft, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has added two more wetlands – at Kharghar and Nerul – to the list of six water bodies to be conserved under the satellite wetland management plan for Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS). Environmentalists say this is a big development and reinforces their campaign to save the wetlands in the city.

The BNHS has earlier listed the wetlands at Belpada, Bhendkhal, Panje-Funde in Uran, NRI-TS Chanakya in Nerul and the Bhandup pumping station for conservation to allow migratory and local birds to roost and nest.

The 139-year-old nature research body founded by Dr Salim Ali has been studying the bird flight pattern in view of the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as a project assigned by CIDCO.

BNHS scientist Mrugank

Prabhu has confirmed that his team found several species of birds such as black-tailed godwit, common redshank, common greenshank, common sandpiper, marsh sandpiper and curlew sandpiper at a wetland near Sanjivani School in Kharghar. The BNHS also tracked flamingos and other birds at the wetland adjoining Delhi Public School in Nerul.

BN Kumar, the director of NatConnect Foundation, had

also sent a request through an email to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to order conservation of all the wetlands. Green activist Naresh Chandra Singh of Kharghar said that he sincerely hopes that the BNHS word will be taken seriously and the biodiversity areas will be preserved.