39 flamingos die in a flight-bird strike in Mumbai

Mumbai: As many as 39 flamingos were found dead in Ghatkopar after they reportedly collided with an airplane in mid-air on Monday night. This is the first major aviation disaster involving birds reported in Mumbai.

SV Ramarao, Maharashtra's additional principal chief conservator of forests and mangrove cell in Mumbai, confirmed the deaths stating that the flamingos crashed into an airplane travelling from Dubai to Mumbai.

Bird remains were found scattered on the ground

Alarms were raised when people found carcasses of the flamingos scattered at Ghatkopar Andheri Link Road, Lakshminagar-Pantnagar junction. Prashant Bahadure, the range forest officer of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary said he received information about the remains of the birds at 9.30 pm.

A full day’s search revealed39 flamingos die in a flight-bird strike in Mumbai that 39 flamingos had died from the crash. On the night of May 20, the team of forest officials found 29 carcasses and on May 21, 10 more were found.

Flamingos were on return migration

NatConnect director BN Kumar said, “The flamingos were on their return migration from Mumbai to Gujarat. Mumbai is their winter-summer home.”

Kumar said he has sent an email to the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) to investigate how the Emirates aircraft clashed with the birds. “How could the pilot not notice the flock on his radar?”

BNHS raises a hue and cry

Kishor Rithe, director Bombay Natural History Society, in a detailed note, stated that the unfortunate event occurred with the Dubai flight operated by Emirates (EK508), verbally confirmed by airport authorities to the regional forest officer.

Rithe said, “It could have been very dangerous for the passengers too. We will help the agencies in investigating and fixing the issue. BNHS has clearly mentioned the importance of protecting high tide roosting places in and around Mumbai, along the coast from any kind of disturbance. Hope the concerned authorities will identify all the causes and address them before something happens again.”

Postmortem

The forest department brought the dead flamingos to the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre in Airoli and a post-mortem was carried out by a veterinary doctor.

Vikrant Khade, assistant conservator of forests, Mangrove Protection in Mumbai, is heading the investigation into the death of the birds. The investigation is also being carried out under the supervision of Deepak Khade, divisional forest officer, Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit.

Flamingos’ rendezvous with Thane sanctuary

The Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary witnesses a lakh flamingos coming every year.

Apart from Thane Creek, Navi Mumbai also has wetlands and mangroves which are being converted for business for the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. “These wetlands in Navi Mumbai are the abodes of flamingos. These are their traditional destinations,” Kumar said.

State environmentalists fighting for the protection of special ecological spaces said that there is a systematic destruction of water bodies and wetlands.

The death of flamingos in the airplane strike in Mumbai is a curt reminder of how humans can adversely affect the flora and fauna in their surroundings.

Many have come out questioning the officials and the airlines about the precautions they need to take to prevent such mishaps, especially when there is a chance of the airplane being damaged putting the passengers in danger.