top of page

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.

How Demonetisation Hit the Red Corridor

Writer: Rohini A V
Rohini A V
Apr 8
3 min read

While Dhurandhar 2 dramatises a fake-currency crackdown, the real 2016 shock may have struck far deeper — at the cash lifeline of India’s Maoist insurgency.

In the 2026 blockbuster Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, director Aditya Dhar stages a sequence that has already become a cultural talking point. Using actual footage of the 2016 demonetisation announcement, the film depicts a Rs 60,000 crore fake-currency racket aimed at destabilising Indian elections, collapsing in a single night. But while Dhurandhar 2 keeps its focus on counterfeit syndicates and urban kingpins, the real-world “strategic masterstroke” may have hit a far more dangerous target: the financial heart of Naxalism.


Beyond Pashupati to Tirupati

For decades, the “Red Corridor” was a chilling reality — a belt of insurgent influence stretching, in popular shorthand, from Pashupati in Nepal to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. It functioned like a shadow state, openly challenging the authority of the Indian Constitution. But after 2016, the corridor did not merely crack; it began to recede. Government data for 2025–26 points to what officials describe as an “irreversible decline”, with the number of most-affected districts falling from 36 in 2014 to just two by March 2026. This retreat was driven by several factors, but it was undeniably accelerated by a sudden and devastating cash crunch.


Turning Paper into Trash

Naxalism was never just an ideology; it was also a cash-dependent insurgency. Intelligence assessments suggest that the CPI (Maoist) collected hundreds of crores annually through so-called “revolutionary taxes” levied on mining contractors, tendu leaf traders and infrastructure projects. Much of this money was reportedly held in physical cash, largely in ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes. That liquidity enabled cash-based procurement of arms, explosives and IED components, funded monthly stipends for full-time cadres and their families, and sustained an extensive network of urban informants.


Then came the rupture. Overnight, large parts of that underground cash economy were either frozen, exposed or rendered unusable. The most immediate blow was the disruption of the insurgents’ procurement cycle. Unable to finance arms, ammunition or logistics as easily as before, Maoist units were increasingly pushed into a defensive posture. By 2024–25, this financial squeeze appears to have contributed to a sharp rise in surrenders. More than 1,600 cadres laid down their arms in 2025 alone – a stark sign that an insurgency unable to feed its fighters or maintain its supply lines is already in decline.


The clearest confirmation came from within. Mallojula Venugopal Rao, better known as Bhupati – a senior CPI (Maoist) leader, Politburo member and brother of the late Kishenji – surrendered in Gadchiroli in October 2025. In interviews aired the following year, he acknowledged that Maoist rhetoric had diverged sharply from ground reality and identified demonetisation as a major financial blow. He said large amounts of cash could not be exchanged. According to Bhupati, his division alone had lost an estimated Rs 20–30 crore, gutting reserves that had long financed Maoist operations.


The ultimate legacy of demonetisation in the Red Corridor may have been not just financial ruin but psychological collapse. Once the money dried up, trust between the commanders and the cadre began to fracture. Bhupati’s surrender, along with 60 of his associates, symbolised that deeper implosion: the “Red Dream” became far harder to sustain when the cash stopped flowing.


Dhurandhar 2 may dramatise the end of fake currency, but the real story is larger. In the real world, the 2016 move appears to have dealt a blow far beyond counterfeit networks, forcing hardened insurgents to confront the gap between revolutionary rhetoric and mainstream reality. By April 2026, as the government pushes its “Naxal Mukt Bharat” narrative, one conclusion stands out: this was a conflict shaped not only by bullets but also by the sudden destruction of underground wealth.


(The writer is a brand strategist and a political commentator. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page