Thane, Feb 27 (PTI): Environmentalists on Friday said the Maharashtra government must speed up the process of providing formal protection to the DPS Flamingo Lake in Navi Mumbai.

While the Maharashtra State Wildlife Board under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared 'conservation reserve' status for the lake in April last year, the mandatory Government Resolution (GR) to formalise it is pending, they pointed out.

Due to this, management of the lake has not been transferred to the forest department, leaving the wetland under the control of CIDCO, which still labels the area as a developable land parcel, environmentalists said.

It is vital that the GR be issued without further delay to ensure unified conservation, NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar said.

The lake serves as a vital high-tide refuge for birds from the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.

Experts noted that flamingo arrivals in Mumbai have been delayed this year.

Mrugank Prabhu, a senior scientist at Srushti Conservation Foundation, stated that large congregations are currently in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch due to favourable water levels, with movement toward Mumbai expected by mid-March.

"Habitat quality is a determining factor. If ecological conditions worsen due to restricted tidal flow, these iconic visitors will shift to alternative sites," said Sandeep Sareen of Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society. (PTI)

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.