In a troubling turn for Navi Mumbai’s biodiversity, Panje Wetland, a vital 289-hectare natural sanctuary, is now on the brink of collapse. The wetland was once a thriving habitat for migratory birds and a key resource for local fishermen. However, it is now drying up due to the blockage of its intertidal water flow. This disruption occurs despite explicit orders from the Maharashtra State Environment Department to safeguard this vital ecosystem.
This conflict is not only threatening the region’s rich biodiversity, but also the livelihoods of those who depend on it.
Home to migratory birds, now under threat of destruction
Panje Wetlands is known to host over 250 species of birds, including 50 migratory species, according to studies by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Among these are iconic species such as flamingos, Northern Pintails, and the Bar-tailed Godwit. The wetland also supports thousands of aquatic species, crucial for the local fishing community. Yet, the ecosystem is teetering on the edge of collapse due to the recent interference with its natural tidal system.
Environmental groups NatConnect Foundation and Sagar Shakti point to CIDCO’s (City and Industrial Development Corporation) controversial role in the wetland’s deterioration. Despite clear orders from the State Environment Director in 2020 to maintain tidal water flow, CIDCO has reportedly shut down crucial sluice gates, effectively choking the wetland’s lifeline.
The crisis deepens with revelations that CIDCO has leased portions of this vital ecosystem to NMSEZ (now NMIIA) without proper CRZ clearances. More alarmingly, BNHS research on bird flight patterns – crucial for the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport’s environmental impact assessment – has been halted.
Increased flood and ecological risks
As this vital flood-control system and biodiversity hotspot struggles to survive, environmentalists are sounding the alarm about the devastating consequences for nearby areas, including heightened flood risks and irreversible ecological damage to Mumbai. The fight to save Panje rages on, with migratory birds soaring overhead, still searching for their increasingly elusive winter refuge.
