Navi Mumbai: Environmental Concerns Prompt CIDCO to Switch to Yellow Lights on Nerul Jetty Road
Navi Mumbai, 6th September 2024: In response to environmental concerns regarding light pollution affecting flamingos at DPS Flamingo Lake, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has decided to replace the bright LED lights with yellow bulbs on the elevated road leading to Nerul Jetty. CIDCO has issued an e-tender for the project, with a bid submission deadline of September 11.
Environmentalists have raised alarms since February, following the deaths of seven flamingos who collided with a large signboard at the passenger water transport terminal. An additional ten flamingos died, likely disoriented by the intense lighting and lack of food due to the lake’s drying up, attributed to a blockage in the intertidal water flow, according to the NatConnect Foundation. “Although the action has been delayed, CIDCO’s decision is a step in the right direction. We hope the lake will be better prepared to accommodate the flamingos with reduced light pollution during the upcoming season starting next month,” said B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.
Kumar noted that migratory birds, especially flamingos, have been disoriented by light pollution while landing and taking off at DPS Flamingo Lake. CIDCO initially responded by removing the problematic signboard following instructions from Dr. Kailas Shinde, then joint MD of CIDCO and now Commissioner at Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). NatConnect has urged Dr. Shinde to ensure the replacement of the lights around the lake, particularly those on the service road parallel to Palm Beach Road. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has advised NMMC and CIDCO to replace the bright lights and adjust the lamp angles to 45 degrees downward to minimize light pollution impact on the birds.
NatConnect has emphasized that CIDCO should not only switch to yellow bulbs but also adjust the lampshades to a 45-degree downward angle. Sandeep Sareen of the Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society (NMEPS) expressed hope that CIDCO will adopt a more environmentally conscious approach. Activist and birder Jyoti Nadkarni highlighted that light pollution poses a severe threat to birds, causing disorientation. “This is why we opposed bright lights at Vadale Lake in Panvel,” Nadkarni noted. The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) responded positively to similar concerns, taking action to protect nocturnal wildlife.
