Environmentalists sound ‘wetland emergency’ alarm in Navi Mumbai on World Water Day as laboratory tests show three flamingo lakes have turned ‘toxic’

Climate activists in Navi Mumbai have sounded a ‘wetland emergency' alarm on World Water Day, observed on March 22, after laboratory tests showed that three major lakes—DPS Lake, Training Ship Chanakya (TSC) Lake, and NRI Wetland—have turned toxic. The NatConnect Foundation commissioned the tests which revealed alarming levels of pollutants, including high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), far exceeding permissible limits. Activists attribute the toxicity to the illegal discharge of untreated sewage and industrial waste. The degradation of these wetlands poses a severe threat to the thousands of migratory flamingos that visit the region annually. The groups are demanding immediate intervention from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and CIDCO to stop the pollution and restore the water quality.