Don’t allow concrete jungle on Panje Wetland: Activists to govt

Navi Mumbai: Environmentalists have stepped up their campaign to save the Panje wetland from being converted into a concrete jungle, destroying the rich biodiversity.

On the occasion of International Biodiversity Day, non-governmental organisations NatConnect Foundation and Sagarshakti sent out an email on Monday to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reminding him of his promise to conserve the environment.

The theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated on May 22 every year, is "From agreement to action: build back biodiversity".

Environmentalists have raised concerns over a number of projects near the wetland. “The IT hub planned by a big corporate house should not lead to the destruction of Panje’s biodiversity as the wetland attracts over 80 species of birds, as per a Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) report,” said B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation.

Chorus grows for a biodiversity park

“Panje is the ideal location for building a biodiversity park. All that the government has to do is to strictly tell the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) not to obstruct intertidal water flow,” says Nandakumar Pawar of Sagarshakti.

Pawar pointed out that the local people had a genuine demand for a playground and that they have been using a small portion of the wetland when it is dry during low tide. This small part may be separated from the main wetland as long as it does not disturb the migratory birds, he said.

Panje under "attack"

Panje has been under attack for about five years with the intermittent blocking of tidal water, alleged Pawar. As a result of this the migratory bird population, which used to be 2.5 lakhs, has drastically dwindled.

Panje biodiversity must be rebuilt now and the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ) township be stopped, he said.

“Shockingly, NMSEZ security has also forcibly stopped an all-important study of birds’ patterns by BNHS at Panje and CIDCO has not done anything to resume the study,” Kumar said. It is part of an overall study of wetlands which has been commissioned as part of the environmental risk assessment for the flights at Navi Mumbai International Airport, he added.