Navi Mumbai, June 22: Polluted creek water entering DPS Flamingo Lake during high tide is emerging as a serious threat to the wetland's fragile ecosystem, with recent water quality tests revealing contamination levels far exceeding permissible limits and raising concerns over the decline in flamingo sightings this season.
The latest laboratory analysis of water collected from the lake's tidal inflow channel recorded Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) at 19,600 mg/l, more than nine times the permissible limit of 2,100 mg/l prescribed under inland surface water quality standards.
The test was commissioned by environmentalists Sandeep Sareen of the Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society and NatConnect Foundation Director B. N. Kumar.
Water Quality Tests Raise Alarm
The findings add to a series of alarming test results recorded over the past few months. A sample collected from DPS Flamingo Lake in March showed TDS levels of 21,720 mg/l, while water from a drain discharging into the wetland in April recorded TDS levels of 7,950 mg/l.
The April sample also showed a Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 36.4 mg/l, significantly above permissible levels. All three samples failed to meet prescribed inland water quality standards.
Environmentalists fear the deteriorating water quality is affecting the ecological balance of the wetland, which forms part of the Ramsar-listed Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary ecosystem.
"Flamingos can tolerate natural salinity, but they cannot thrive in waters carrying a cocktail of sewage, urban runoff and other contaminants," Sareen said. "The deteriorating water quality is steadily eroding the lake's ecological balance and shrinking its food base."
Experts note that flamingos depend on specific salinity and water chemistry conditions that support algae, diatoms and microscopic organisms that constitute their primary food source. Any disruption in these conditions can adversely affect the birds and other wetland-dependent species.
Call For Urgent Conservation Measures
Kumar warned that the combination of polluted tidal inflows and extensive blue-green algal growth is placing the wetland under increasing ecological stress.
"The toxic mix of polluted tidal inflows and extensive blue-green algal mats appears to have pushed DPS Flamingo Lake towards an ecological tipping point," Kumar said.
He also called for urgent conservation measures to protect the wetland.
"The continuing pollution underscores the urgent need to expedite the final Government Resolution granting Conservation Reserve status to DPS Flamingo Lake and ensure stronger legal protection," Kumar added.
Flamingo Decline Seen As Warning
Environmentalists said the issue extends beyond the loss of a seasonal flamingo habitat and reflects broader concerns over the health of urban wetlands. International studies have consistently identified pollution, habitat degradation and unsustainable development as major drivers of wetland decline worldwide.
Scientific research has also highlighted the risks associated with altered tidal systems, warning that changes in estuarine hydrology can adversely affect water quality, sediment movement and biodiversity.
For Navi Mumbai, conservationists said, the diminishing presence of flamingos at DPS Flamingo Lake should be viewed as an early warning signal.
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"The decline in flamingo numbers is not just about the loss of a seasonal attraction. It is a warning that one of the region's most fragile wetlands is under growing environmental stress," environmentalists said, urging authorities to take immediate steps to improve water quality and strengthen protection measures for the ecologically sensitive habitat.
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