August 4, 2025: Navi Mumbai’s vital wetlands—DPS Flamingo Lake, NRI, and TS Chanakya—will remain protected under the revised draft Development Plan (DP) released by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). The move has been welcomed by conservationists, who had raised concerns over earlier proposals by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) to develop these ecologically sensitive areas.
The draft plan, open for public feedback until August 23, retains the wetlands’ protected status, reversing CIDCO’s earlier bid to reclassify them for urban projects. DPS Flamingo Lake, a crucial habitat for migratory birds, was previously marked for development. The NRI water body had been earmarked for a golf course, while TS Chanakya was proposed for residential projects. All three sites are listed in the National Wetland Inventory Atlas and documented by the National Centre for Coastal Management (NCSCM).
While the state’s urban development department has acknowledged the wetlands’ ecological importance, final government approval is pending. Activists, including Sunil Agarwal, have praised the NMMC’s move but remain watchful until the final sanction is granted. The decision has received mixed reactions from real estate developers, especially those near the NRI wetland and Sector-60, which remains a residential zone despite past legal challenges. In 2018, the Bombay High Court scrapped CIDCO’s plans for a residential-commercial complex and golf course on the NRI site, though CIDCO’s appeal in the Supreme Court is still pending.
NatConnect Director B N Kumar welcomed the step and urged the state to officially designate these wetlands, including Lotus Lake at Sector-27, as protected. The NMMC also envisions promoting these areas as eco-tourism destinations and preserving them as flamingo habitats, striking a balance between conservation and development. Public consultations continue until August 23, with stakeholders hoping the wetlands’ protection will be cemented in the final plan.
Source: Urban Acres
