Bombay (Mumbai) is not a city that comes to mind when one thinks of flamingos.  So it was with much surprise that I read an article in the Times of India informing readers of the hidden treasures of Sewri Bay.

According to www.MumbaiFlamingo.com :

The Sewri Bay mudflats attract up to half a million and more birds, including its most famous visitors, nearly 20,000 flamingos that spend over eight months every year in this nutrient-rich expanse.

This is an unbelievable 12-15% of the entire South Asian population of this near-threatened species, right here in Mumbai!

Sewri Bay is amongst the most spectacular wintering bird sites along India’s west coast. The Bay is a winter refuge for close to an estimated half a million migratory birds, some of the species coming from as far as the Arctic circle. They include sandpipers, plovers, gulls and terns and flamingos, of which there is a large and critically important congregation.

However, on reading some more, one discovers that all is not well in the world of flamingos :

… the Sewri Bay has remained ignored by most citizens of Mumbai, largely due to the lack of information about the beauty and importance of this site.

(To make matters worse…) The Nhava Sewri Trans Harbour Sealink has been planned to begin and run right through the very heart of this fabulously bird-rich Bay. It will completely destroy the wintering habitat of such enormous numbers of migratory birds, including of course, those stately flamingos.

While the construction of this bridge would mean slashing travel time, decongesting the city and bringing many commercial benefits to the local populace, it shouldn’t be at the cost of such a significant environmental downside.

To protect that interest, an Online Petition is currently on, with the aim of convincing the Govt. Of Maharashtra to re-align the bridge so these priceless habitats can be protected.

I have signed that petition, and urge you to do the same. 

After all, in a city notorious for its congestion, pollution and deteriorating civic sense, the Sewri Bay is one of the few things we can still save.