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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 7:24:18 pm

Flamingo City may see early ‘pink influx’, wetlands worry

Pollution, algal growth and disrupted tidal flows threaten key bird habitats Flamingos could arrive in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai earlier than usual this winter, potentially in larger numbers, but environmentalists warn that deteriorating wetlands may leave the migratory birds with inadequate feeding grounds. Polluted water, excessive algal growth and disrupted tidal flows threaten three key habitats DPS Flamingo Lake, NRI Wetland and TS Chanakya Wetland raising concerns over the region’s...

Flamingo City may see early ‘pink influx’, wetlands worry

Pollution, algal growth and disrupted tidal flows threaten key bird habitats Flamingos could arrive in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai earlier than usual this winter, potentially in larger numbers, but environmentalists warn that deteriorating wetlands may leave the migratory birds with inadequate feeding grounds. Polluted water, excessive algal growth and disrupted tidal flows threaten three key habitats DPS Flamingo Lake, NRI Wetland and TS Chanakya Wetland raising concerns over the region’s preparedness for the annual arrival of the pink visitors, NatConnect Foundation said. Senior scientist Mrugank Prabhu of Srushti Conservation Foundation expects the birds to arrive early, possibly in greater numbers. A deficient monsoon in Kutch could affect water levels and food availability, prompting flamingos to seek alternative feeding grounds sooner than usual, said Prabhu, who has been studying bird movements along the Central Asian Flyway. NatConnect director B N Kumar said the three wetlands were not adequately prepared to receive the birds, which attract birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts to Navi Mumbai and the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), a Ramsar site. The concerns follow private laboratory tests commissioned by NatConnect earlier this year, which found elevated pollution indicators in water samples collected from all three sites. Kumar said flamingos had moved north to Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan during the previous migratory season, while arrivals in the Mumbai region began in smaller batches. He cautioned that deteriorating wetlands could fail to provide suitable feeding grounds if the birds arrived early in search of alternative habitats. NRI Wetland in Nerul has been affected by extensive algal growth, while neighbouring TS Chanakya Lake faces waterlogging and drainage problems. Environmentalists attribute these issues to encroachment and interference with natural water flows. Kumar called for urgent restoration, expressing concern over delays in securing formal legal protection for the wetlands.

Jarange turns the ‘heat’ on Mahayuti

Quaid Najmi
May 30
3 min read

Mumbai: Turning up the heat on the Mahayuti government amid blistering temperatures touching 40C, Maratha quota crusader and Shivba Sanghatana President Manoj Jarange-Patil launched a fast-unto-death at his native Antarvali -Sarati village, as thousands of supporters joined.

 

Unfazed by the scorching sun, Jarange-Patil sat bare-headed in the open, occasionally covering himself with a scarf. Even as he exposed himself to the harsh conditions, he urged supporters to remain under shade and take precautions against the extreme heat.

 

The seventh hunger strike in three years began a day after a government delegation led by Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and BJP leader Prasad Lad made a last-ditch effort to cajole Jarange-Patil to withdraw the agitation, but the marathon meeting failed to break the deadlock.

 

During the discussions, an aggressive Jarange-Patil bombarded Vikhe-Patil’s team with a barrage of questions over the issuance of Kunbi certificates, the government's stand on the Hyderabad Gazette, a crucial document cited by quota supporters to establish Maratha-Kunbi links since the past three years.

 

Making his position clear, Jarange-Patil declared that he would grant “no further extension” to the government and reiterated that he was willing to sacrifice himself for the cause of Maratha reservations.

 

Adding political muscle to the agitation, Kolhapur Congress MP Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj - the 12th descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - visited Antarvali-Sarati today and met Jarange-Patil in the sweltering heat.

 

Expressing solidarity to Jarange-Patil, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj said that Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj-Shahu IV, had pioneered reservation policies in India, but historical records from Kolhapur have been ignored since long.

 

“The Maratha community has been misled for years and has gained little from repeated assurances. Marathas and Kunbis are essentially one community. All Marathas are Kunbis and all Kunbis are Marathas,” Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj  asserted.

 

While expressing concern over the lack of clarity surrounding the ongoing negotiations between the government and Jarange-Patil, he demanded that the Kolhapur Gazette be given the same importance as other archival documents being considered by the government.

 

Quota Benefits

Supporting his observations, hundreds of members of the Sakal Maratha Samaj gathered near the statue of Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj to express solidarity with the agitation. They raised slogans and demanded that the Kolhapur Gazette be included alongside the Satara Gazette while determining reservation benefits for the community.

 

Maratha supporters across Marathwada and other parts of the state echoed similar sentiments. :Just as Jarange-Patil is enduring the blazing sun, we are standing with him. Marathas are farmers; heat and hardship are part of our lives,” said one activist, while another warned that if the government continued to ignore their demands, it could trigger a larger backlash from the community.

 

As Jarange-Patil settled into his makeshift open to sky protest camp, reports of protests and demonstrations came from districts like Latur, Beed, Jalna and other parts of the state, with agitators ranting slogans against the government and renewing their demand for immediate implementation of Maratha reservation.

 

Marathas staged a brief but dramatic ‘rasta roko’ on the busy Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway near Varud Navha, paralysing traffic in both directions and causing queues stretching nearly two kilometres before police intervened to restore vehicular movement.


  • Issue Kunbi certificates to all Marathas in the Marathwada region by May 29th.
  • Issue a Government Resolution (GR) pertaining to the former princely states of Satara, Kolhapur, Aundh, Pune, and Miraj; on the lines of the 1994 resolution.
  • Reinstate all schemes and initiatives under the SARTHI institute.
  • Disburse all pending reimbursements from SARTHI.
  • Grant official validity to all Kunbi certificates that are already issued.
  • Disband the Maratha Sub-committee as it serves no useful purpose, and its Chairman lacks any substantive role.
  • Set up an independent Ministry for Kunbi and Maratha affairs.
  • Grant an extension to the Shinde Committee and ask it to thoroughly scrutinize all relevant records.
  • Withdraw all criminal cases filed across Maharashtra in connection with the agitation.
  • Ensure jobs in Mahavitaran and MIDC for the families of those who sacrificed their lives during the Maratha stirs.

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