Maharashtra coastal zone management, national and state wildlife boards and others were issued a notice on Monday, November 15, by the Bombay High Court (HC) on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that was filed to declare Navi Mumbai's Panje as a bird sanctuary under the Wildlife Act.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by environmental NGO Vanashakti and its Project director Stalin Dayanand. It was argued by advocate Zaman Ali. They sought directions from HC to declare "Panje-Dongri Wetlands" as a bird sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
In the PIL, it was stated that Panje-Dongri Wetlands should be protected. If not, the migratory birds will pose an extreme high-security risk to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), in 2015, recorded more than one lakh birds in the winter at Panje wetlands. Meanwhile in 2019, experts had suggested that the wetlands be declared as a bird sanctuary, too, as it has unique bird habitat, it said.
The NGO said that in February, it wrote to the secretary of the forest department to make a declaration stating that Panje-Dongri wetlands hold ecological value for Uran. They also wanted the department to declare that the wetlands act as a vital bird habitat as it's a roosting site for more than 100 migratory bird species and a habitat for protected species.
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