A sealink is proposed to be built right through the wintering grounds of half-a-million waders including about 20,000 lesser flamingos. We are not opposed to development. We just want the bridge to be re-aligned.
PS: The site will not allow me to edit the main text and there is a factual error there. Have been trying in vain for a long time to edit the text - to no avail. Hence this note.
The flamingos do NOT breed here. These are their wintering grounds. As also for about 1/2 a million waders. They do need protection.
Nestled within the high-rises, refineries, dumping grounds,
slums and ship-breaking yards of Mumbai is this little jewel. The Sewree Bay! Relatively unknown to most
residents and visitors, the mudflats here attract upward of 5lac (½ a million)
birds, including its most famous visitors, nearly 20,000 flamingos. Birdlife
International and Bombay Natural History Society both list the Sewree Bay as an
Important Birding Area.
The Sewree bay is now likely to be completely destroyed and
the habitat annihilated unless you and we act NOW.
The Sewree - Nhava Trans
Harbour Sea link was first conceived in 1970 by the
Govt. Of Maharashtra, India, as a 22km bridge across the sea to connect the
island of Bombay to the Indian mainland. After dithering over it for a quarter of
a century, this project is suddenly and hastily approved a few months ago.
Both ends of the Sea link terminate at highly
eco-sensitive areas. At one end is Sewree Bay with about 120 bird
species spotted and listed – including the greater and lesser flamingos; the
other end is at Nhava, right next to the teeming wetlands of Uran. Uran records
more than 250 species of birds, most of them winter migrants (including
flamingos).
Think
Pink
Flamingos are the flagship species
in this crusade to save the bay and its inhabitants. An unbelievable 12-15% of the entire South Asian population of the
near-threatened Lesser Flamingos feed and breed right here in the heart of this
over populated metropolis. This enviable co-existence is unique
anywhere in the world and celebrates the spirit of Mumbai! Even a
layman can easily imagine how building the Sea link straight
through this precious natural bay will devastate the mangroves, the
mudflats, the bird life and other species in this area.
We are not against the Sea link. This prestigious bridge
would mean slashing travel time, decongesting the city and would bring many
commercial benefits to the local populace. But it
shouldn’t be at such a humongous environmental cost. We aim to
convince the Govt. Of Maharashtra to re-align the bridge so these priceless
habitats can be protected.
Please voice your opinions and sign this petition for this
worthwhile cause. Please also visit our website: www.mumbaiflamingobay.com. Thank
you.
