Navi Mumbai, August 13, 2026: Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has directed the authorities to take measures to protect flamingo and wildlife habitats in Navi Mumbai, including the DPS Lake area in Nerul and Sector 52A.
The area along Palm Beach Road is not merely a habitat for flamingos but also supports golden jackals, mongooses and other wildlife, Naik said on Wednesday, directing officials to take concrete measures to protect the ecosystem around DPS Lake and the wildlife habitat in Sector 52A.
A proposal to include Sector 52A in the Flamingo Conservation Zone was also discussed at a meeting convened to examine measures for protecting the area. NMMC Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde, CIDCO officials, including Ravindra Mankar, and other concerned representatives attended the meeting.
Fencing Activity Raises Questions
The directions assume significance as fencing was carried out on July 18 across several plots in Sector 52A. While Plot No. 3 is the only plot that has been registered, fencing has reportedly been undertaken on several other plots as well.
The fenced plots do not display the mandatory boards detailing the work or the permissions under which it was carried out. There was also no person present at the site to produce or explain the relevant permissions.
Activist Sunil Agarwal, who has raised concerns over the issue, said the fencing needed to be thoroughly investigated.
“If Sector 52A is being considered for inclusion in the Flamingo Conservation Zone, the authorities must establish under whose permission fencing was carried out on multiple plots. Only Plot No. 3 is registered, while fencing has been done on several other plots. There are no mandatory boards at the sites and nobody is available to show the permissions. The authorities must verify the legality of the entire exercise and ensure that the wildlife habitat is not compromised,” he said.
Habitat Protection Emphasised
Naik said DPS Lake was an important habitat for flamingos and stressed that the ecological conditions of the lake and its surroundings must be preserved to ensure a conducive environment for the migratory birds.
He also stressed the need for separate conservation measures to protect the habitat of golden jackals in the NRI area. Mongooses and other wildlife found in the region must also be protected, he said.
“While Navi Mumbai continues to develop, it is equally important to preserve the city’s environmental identity,” Naik said, adding that flamingos had become an important feature of Navi Mumbai’s natural landscape. Development projects should therefore be planned in a manner that does not adversely affect their habitat, he said.
Naik also said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a positive approach towards flamingo conservation.
Sector 52A Under Consideration
The meeting was convened following a representation submitted by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation corporator Netra Ashish Shirke seeking protection for the wildlife habitat in Sector 52A and its inclusion in the Flamingo Conservation Zone.
The meeting discussed measures for conserving DPS Lake, protecting the wildlife habitat in Sector 52A and maintaining suitable ecological conditions for flamingos. Officials were also directed to give due priority to environmental conservation while planning development works in the area.
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With Sector 52A being considered for inclusion in the Flamingo Conservation Zone, environmentalists have stressed that conservation must be backed by effective on-ground monitoring and transparency, particularly regarding development and fencing activities in the area.
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