✍️ CHANGE.ORG PETITION DRAFT

Title:
Save DPS Lake: Restore Water Flow, Protect Flamingos & it’s Habitat in Navi Mumbai

 
Petition to:

Climate Change GoM 

Forest Department, Government of Maharashtra
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC)
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)
District Collector, Thane
Maharashtra State Wetland Authority

 
Petition Text:

DPS Lake in Navi Mumbai — once a thriving resting and roosting grround supporting aquatic biodiversity and migratory birds including flamingos — is now facing a severe ecological crisis.

Recent water quality analysis conducted by the NMMC Environment Department  and NatConnect Foundation has revealed alarming contamination levels. Chloride concentrations are nearly 8 times above permissible limits, and sulphate levels exceed safe thresholds by more than 2 times, indicating possible sewage ingress, industrial or saline intrusion. 

Simultaneously, a Joint Committee report submitted in compliance with directions of the National Green Tribunal highlights a critical hydrological issue: blocked and ineffective inlets/outlets are preventing natural water flow, leading to stagnation, the growth of harmful algae and rising contamination loads

This combination of toxic salinity and stagnant water is rapidly degrading the DPS Lake ecosystem.

 
🦩 Why This Matters

DPS Lake lies within Navi Mumbai — globally recognized as a “City of Flamingos.” Every year, thousands of migratory birds arrive here between November and May.

However:

Degraded water quality threatens their feeding, resting, and roosting grounds 
Algal blooms and stagnation reduce oxygen balance 
Loss of habitat could permanently drive away migratory species 
Mangroves surrounding the lake — which act as natural carbon sinks and coastal protectors — are also at risk.

 
⚠️ What Is Happening On Ground

Natural tidal exchange is disrupted 
Inlets meant to connect lake and creek are blocked or poorly designed 
Water is not flowing freely, causing stagnation 
Possible contamination sources remain unidentified and unchecked 
Without immediate intervention, DPS Lake risks becoming an ecologically dead zone.

 
📢 Our Demands

We, the concerned citizens of Navi Mumbai, urge the authorities to take urgent and time-bound action:

Restore Natural Intertidal Water Flow
Open, repair, and redesign all inlets and outlets to ensure free tidal exchange between DPS Lake and the creek. 
Identify & Stop Pollution Sources
Conduct a thorough investigation into possible industrial discharge, saline intrusion, or sewage inflow — and take strict action. 
Immediate Lake Restoration Plan
Initiate desilting, ecological cleaning, and habitat restoration under expert supervision. 
Continuous Water Quality Monitoring
Install real-time monitoring systems and make data publicly accessible. 
Grant Protective Wetland Status
Recognize DPS Lake as an ecologically sensitive wetland and ensure long-term conservation measures. 
 
🌱 A Citizen’s Appeal

DPS Lake is not just a water body — it is a living ecosystem, a resting and roosting ground for migratory birds, and a natural heritage of Navi Mumbai.

We cannot afford to lose it.

Through this petition, we stand united to demand immediate action — to restore, protect, and preserve DPS Lake for future generations.

 
Sign this petition. Share it. Be the voice for those who cannot speak — the flamingos, the mangroves, and the fragile ecosystem of DPS Lake.

 
✊ Campaign Name:

Save DPS Lake – City of Flamingos Initiative

 
🙌 Started by:

Rekha Sankhala

Save Flamingos Save Mangroves 
A Navi Mumbai Citizens Whatsapp Forum