(Feature Image: Residents & activists gather at Lotus Lake pledging to protect the wetland from illegal dumping. Source)

Like previous years, the structural failures in the governance of Mumbai’s wetlands, lakes, and mangroves were laid bare in 2025 also. While citizens demonstrated extraordinary vigilance and courts delivered occasional relief, the action and inaction of state developmental agencies continued enabling their degradation.

The declaration of DPS Flamingo Lake in Nerul as a Conservation Reserve in April 2025 was indeed a hard-won victory. Yet, this achievement was swiftly undermined when CIDCO passed a resolution to pursue de-reservation of the very same wetland.

Continue reading “2025: Mumbai’s Wetlands & Mangroves Need Urgent Proactive Governance” →