Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Recent water samples from flamingo habitats in Thane Creek show rising toxicity levels. The development raises concerns about pollution and habitat degradation in this Ramsar wetland ecosystem.

Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS):

Dimension	Key Details
Location	Situated between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra along eastern suburbs
Legal Status	Declared Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018 under Wildlife Protection Act 1972
Managing Authority	Managed by Maharashtra Forest Department
Ecosystem Type	Provides estuarine ecosystem formed by Thane Creek as inlet of Arabian Sea
Water Sources	Comprises freshwater inflow from Ulhas River and saline water from Arabian Sea
Habitat Features	Includes mangroves mudflats and tidal creeks acting as coastal buffer against erosion and floods
Flora	Includes mangrove species such as Avicennia Rhizophora and Sonneratia with carbon sink role
Fauna	Includes Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo along with around 200 bird species
IBA Status	Declared Important Bird Area by BirdLife International
Migration Pattern	Provides seasonal migration from October to May with peak congregation in February to March
Breeding Source	Flamingos breed in Kutch Gujarat and migrate to sanctuary for feeding
Population	Hosts more than one lakh flamingos annually
Flyway	Forms part of Central Asian Flyway
Ramsar Status	Recognised as Ramsar Site in 2022
Threats	Includes pollution high TDS BOD COD urbanisation habitat loss plastic waste sewage discharge and climate change impacts