These are pictures of Lake Talawe in Seawoods, Navi Mumbai. The lake is behind NRI Complex and is very beautiful. Many times I have seen more than 10,000 Flamingoes in the lakes besides many other birds, butterflies, dragon, crabs, snails and host other interesting living creatures. Alas!! this lake was sold off by CIDCO (Navi Mumbai town planning body) to Mistry Construction for making a Golf Course and housing(Navi Mumbai already has a Golf Course in Kharghar). In 2016, the daring couple, Sunil Agarwal and Shruti Agarwal ( Members of Old Bombay) filed a case in HC to cancel development of Golf Course and housing as this is Wetlands area ( protected). They won the case in HC. However, CIDCO and Mistry Construction have filed an appeal in SC. Case pending...... After we won the case in HC in Oct.2018, I wrote this poem, hope like it ..

 

Save Wetlands and Lake Talawe

 

Across the eastern coast of metropolis Mumbai

Breathes the picturesque town of Navi Mumbai

A town that is green and clean

Cleaner than any town in India I have seen

 

The Thane Creek and Panvel Creek

Surround the town with wetlands freak

On the mangroves of the town

The gods can never frown

They are green and lush

That would make an ecologist blush

The flora and fauna of these wetlands

Compel all to take a camera in their hands

 

The Kharghar hill and Parsik hill

With their beauty do everyone kill

The greenery of the hills is indeed tranquilising

The view from hilltops is mesmerising

 

Palm Beach Road is Navi Mumbai's pride

The corporations have kept it adorned like a bride

From Vashi to Nerul

The western side of the road is green, as a rule

This is a tropical heaven

On construction there is a total ban

Excepting TS Chanakya and Seawoods Estates

There are a few buildings on these green plates

On the west of Seawoods Estates are famous wetlands

Lake Talawe, moulded by Almighty's own hands

 

Lake Talawe is a tropical paradise

Where thousands of Flamingoes in flight rise

Many other birds have made it their nesting place

They are free and away from man's rat race

 

Sunrise and sunset at Lake Talawe are indeed amazing

To my soul they provide a zing

The lake's dirt road

Is lined with flowering trees and broad

 

A walk in the lake is peaceful and serene

The delightful mangroves are evergreen

One can spot a Kingfisher and a Koel

In spring, the Flamingoes are truly loyal

 

Flowers orange, red and pink

The eyes catch with a blink

Some trees naked and bare

Everyone must at sometime stare

 

Lake Talawe is Navi Mumbai's jewel

The longing for Nature it does quell

Lake Talawe brings peace to the mind

Transport's one away from the daily grind

 

We heard voices angry and hoarse

On Lake Talawe will come up a Golf Course

Someone had decided to kill the lake

And replace it with nature fake

 

The wetland soldiers, firm and brave

To fight the mighty they did crave

Their fight was just and strong

To wetlands they wouldn't allow any wrong

 

The case was filed in court of law

The advocates ensured in arguments no flaw

Every soldier contributed his bit

Ensuring the builder and officials did not easy sit

 

As day of the final judgement neared

The builder and officials feared

The Golf Course would not come up at the Lake

They knew their arguments the court would not take

 

The HC finally gave a judgement clear

Builders and officials cannot wetlands smear

The plan for a Golf Course was quashed

And the builder's pipe dreams awashed.

 

Let us continue our fight for good

And make the officials brood

They can't be party to destruction of nature

The wetland soldiers will give them a tough fight in future

 

Arvinder Sehdeva

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