Groups of children jumped with joy as they gazed at thousands of pink, white and grey-coloured flamingoes on the sheet of Sewri-Mahul mudflats here. The occasion was the annual flamingo festival organised by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) here on Saturday. “This is so beautiful! Most of the flamingoes here are Lesser Flamingoes. There are a few Greater Flamingoes as well,” Chirag Singhal, a Std. V student of the Navy Children's School said, as he repeated all the information he had gathered from the exhibition arranged there on the winged visitors.
But the happiness that thousands of Mumbaikars have been experiencing every year since 2007 may not last for long.
“This is the same location which is proposed to be the starting point of the Sewri-Nhava trans-harbour link. This site can be developed as a world-class tourist area if some basic facilities are provided here. The trans-harbour link can be developed around these mudflats so that the flamingoes will also attract visitors. We are not against development. We don't object to the trans-harbour link, but if it is planned 500-700 metres away from here, we will be able to get the best of both the worlds. The trans-harbour link should be developed with the flamingoes as the main attraction,” Asad Rahmani, Director, BNHS told The Hindu .
‘Need for study, protection'
“Mudflats are not wastelands. We need to change our approach. These are the habitats for such species. We need to protect them. Unfortunately, they do not come under the Forest Conservation Act. But the government should understand that they should not mess around with these areas. We need to preserve them and work around them,” he said.
The Sewri-Mahul mudflats are surrounded by huge industrial areas and oil refineries which release large amount of waste into the marsh. “There has been no study on the impact of pollution on these birds. There are a lot of chances of mutation due to such high levels of pollution. This needs to be studied,” Mirium Abraham, conservation officer, BNHS, said.
Within a decade from the time when bird-lovers first sighted a large number of flamingoes at the mudflats here, the pink birds are turning into a huge rage. The BNHS has been organising the flamingo festival every year since 2007.
This time, people from all age groups and professions came down braving the scorching sun to see the flamingoes and many other waders (water birds). The enthusiasm was palpable.
“We have such heavenly sites in the midst of so much of pollution. Coming here was such a respite. We should protect such sites,” Rama Darvekar, a middle-aged housewife said. She was so excited about the sight that she got a pink flamingo tattooed on her arm.
Children were the most impressed with the tattoos and many got the white spoonbill or the black and white ibis tattoo on their cheeks, foreheads, arms and hands. “The response has been overwhelming,” Kaustubh Bhagat, education officer, BNHS, who put the small tattoos on the children's hands, said.
Rahul Hasabnis, a standard VIII student who had come with his entire family including grandparents, was also excited about the visit. “Now that I have seen how beautiful these birds are and how close they are, I will bring all my friends here,” he said.
“The pink colour in the background of green mangroves and blue skies looks so amazing! We all had a lot of fun here,” he said.
Shutterbugs' delight
Stalin Pareira, a 26-year old photography student, had come to the festival as a part of the assignment. “It is very interesting to see the curiosity on people's faces. Their expressions are so nice when they look at so many beautiful birds,” he said, adding that Mumbai should have more such open spaces and events which showcased wildlife.
“The aim of the festival is to create awareness among the people on the conservation of such sites which are so close to us,” Atul Sathe, Public Relations Officer, BNHS, said. “We wish to introduce people to these beautiful birds which have been visiting the city every winter for years. This is their habitat,” he said.
The birds migrate to other places for breeding within the first few showers of the monsoon. Mudflats such as the Sewri-Mahul have been good feeding grounds for the birds for years. Of the five species of flamingoes found world over, two are in India — Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo.
