Chief Minister Eknath Shinder has directed the Environment and Climate Change Department to look into the complaints that five painted snipes have disappeared from Panvel lake where a beautification project is underway.
What are painted snipes?
Painted snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds with a striking plumage and are protected under Schedule lV of the Wildlife Protection Act. These birds are found in marshes in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia and feed on insects, crustaceans, molluscs and seeds.
Environmentalists slam beautification project
Environmentalists Jyoti Nadkarni and BN Kumar (director of NGO NatConnect) have complained to the CM that four chicks and a male bird, which were spotted last week in the grass at the lake, are no longer there. The chicks are too young to fly and had just managed to leave the eggs in a corner of the lake, Nadkarni said.
Environmentalists have already raised concerns about the excessive use of illumination at the waterbody which is disturbing the natural habitat.
The forest department has also taken up the issue with the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) which embarked on the beautification of the lake. “This is really sad as predators must have killed the young chicks as they must have got exposed amid the grass despite our appeals to abandon mindless beautification that is spoiling the lake’s natural beauty,” Nadkarni said.
CM directs Principal Secretary to probe disappearance
Responding to NatConnect’s mail, the CM once again directed the Environment Principal Secretary Pravin Darade to probe into the issue. The CM had twice over asked Darade to examine the complaints that the 400-year-old lake’s artificial beautification is senseless.
Tragically, real wildlife is sought to be replaced with artificial LED back-lit deer and birds. Several exotic birds such as painted snipe, which roosted and nested in the grass here, are now endangered as the PMC is set to clear the grass and weeds as part of the beautification, alleged Kumar.
Grass and weeds are their habitat on which they survive by feeding, nesting, resting and hiding from predators, avid birder Madhav Athavale said. The removal of the grass would lead to exposing the birds to the danger of predation and destruction of their home, he pointed out and regretted that the civic authorities are not heeding to the nature lovers’ pleas.
Illuminating the place with so many LED lights, laser beams create light pollution and is not natural for birds both diurnal and nocturnal causing serious health and behaviour disorders also making them vulnerable to the predators, Kumar pointed out.
