Plight of the pink
BNHS and IBCN join hands to create awareness to conserve the flamingo habitat in Mumbai …….Zahra Amiruddin
BNHS and IBCN join hands to create awareness to conserve the flamingo habitat in Mumbai …….Zahra Amiruddin
The most talked-about living beings in town at this point are the flamingoes of Sewri. These pink birds are the highlight of Sewri bay, a dilapidated old port area with crumbling buildings, factories, ship breaking and scrap yards in the heart of Mumbai.
However, the flamingoes are now feeding on the toxins present in these mudcracks. Some are critically ill due to this dilemma. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), in association with Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) has been generating awareness among the public about the need to conserve the flamingo habitat in Sewri.
We have circulated pamphlets and brochures on two occasions on the issue of flamingoes present at the mudflats. Earlier we had also appealed to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), to re-align the proposed Sewri Nhava-Sheva sea link in order to conserve the mudflats where flamingoes land and feed, says J C Daniel, honorary secretary, BNHS.
Conservationists are doing their best to solve this problem, and it is our duty is to be aware and lend a helping hand to protect these intoxicated birds.
In 1996, the mangrove swamps of Sewri were declared a protected ecology. This mangrove and its surrounding area attract a lot of flamingoes from other parts of India for breeding purposes.
The flamingoes fly to Mumbai in December from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, they remain to be our visitors till June, when the early monsoon sets in.
The flamingoes primarily feed on Spirulina, a cyanobacteria which grows only in alkaline lakes that give the birds their pink colour. Their deep bill is specialised for filtering tiny food items.
As pollution increases, the intoxication of these birds increases. If quick action is not taken, the flashes of pink in the clear blue sky will vanish, leaving the atmosphere grey and dull, and somewhat ordinary, warns Pushkar Powle, conservationist, Conservation Action Trust.