Navi Mumbai: Fresh studies indicate that there is no threat from water birds to aircraft at the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). However, environmentalists have called for the prompt notification of wetlands to facilitate the conservation of biodiversity in the city. The water birds moving across the wetlands tend to fly at lower heights than the flight path of the aircraft, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) reported after studying avian species’ behavioural patterns at reservoirs and lakes extensively.BNHS stated, “It appears that aircraft taking off or landing on NMIA runways typically maintain an altitude above the observed flight elevation of birds in Thane Creek.” The studies will continue, the report, which formed part of the NMIA documentation for its half-yearly environmental compliance reports, added. Describing the avian species movement in the NMIA area as ‘quite fascinating’, airport officials have vowed to make the skies safer for both birds and aircraft.Presenting the ‘integrated & collaborative efforts’ for wildlife hazard management, NMIA informed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that studies by BNHS show that migratory and native birds fly much below the flight path of the aircraft. In a separate document as part of its compliance reports, NMIA committed to preserving and conserving biodiversity as per the final recommendations from BNHS.Hailing the series of fresh developments as positive, NatConnect Foundation expressed hope that NMIA will adhere to its commitments and help conserve all major wetlands of Navi Mumbai, which are home to numerous water birds including flamingos. NatConnect Director B N Kumar appealed to the govt to expedite issuing a Government Resolution for declaring DPS Flamingo Lake as a conservation reserve, following the State Wildlife Board’s recommendation.The internationally renowned Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which endorsed the state forest department’s decision to conserve DPS Lake, has also strongly favoured the protection of other tidal-influenced wetlands such as NRI and TS Chanakya. The BNHS study covered Lotus Lake, Ballaleshwar Lake, Kharghar Wetland, Ulwe Wetland, Owe Dam, Morbe Dam, Gadeshwar Dam, and Panvel-Belapur Creek.These birds fly at high altitudes during their long-distance migration journeys and, upon reaching their preferred destinations, land in wetlands and mudflat areas along Thane Creek. All the major wetlands mentioned in the BNHS study reports must be notified promptly to prevent any authority from causing mischief with them and burying them under the pretext of infrastructure development, NatConnect stated in its appeal to the State Environment Department.The NMIA report to ICAO indicated that various avian species around the airport project area, observed during the initial survey, were classified into five types based on their habitats and feeding behaviours: surface feeders, dive feeders, aerial hunters, ground hunters, and shore feeders. Bird populations in the NMIA area vary seasonally and are quite fascinating, with migratory species arriving at different times of the year, especially during the winter months.Migratory birds from various regions arrive, adding to the local avian diversity. Many species from colder regions migrate to the NMIA area to escape harsh winters. These include flamingos, various types of ducks, waders like sandpipers and plovers, and raptors such as eagles and kites, NMIA stated. Some species migrate to the area during the summer for breeding purposes. These include certain types of terns, bee-eaters, shrikes, swifts, and other shorebirds.NMIA has developed a detailed Wildlife Hazard Management Programme (WHMP) as per ICAO’s Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) Aerodrome Document 9981, outlining specific measures to be implemented, including active and passive methods and regular wildlife monitoring. NMIA also appointed an external agency, Birdgard India, to carry out Wildlife Hazard Management (WHM) assessment surveys in and around the airport within a 13 km radius, covering all seasons.BNHS, for its part, studied bird movements extensively from reservoirs and lakes to inter-tidal wetlands and reported that the local movement of birds is commonly restricted to an altitude of less than 50 m above sea level.
