The Sewri Mudflats are an important breeding ground for migratory birds in Mumbai. Some of the migratory birds that make a halt here are Flamingos, the Great Spotted Eagle, the Sandpiper, the Heron, the Black Bellied Tern and Egrets.
Major chunks of land in Sewri, including the Sewri Mudflats, belong to the Bombay Port Trust. Plans for the construction of the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL), which involves construction of a 22-km bridge from Sewri to Nhava in Navi Mumbai, threatens to destroy this important habitat of migratory birds, and has raised concerns about its ecological impact on the mangroves.
Though the government has proposed steps to conserve the mangroves, inlcuding a Rs 800-crore project to protect this habitat, only time will tell how well these plans are implemented.
Text and photos by Paul Noronha