BMC to turn Trombay jetty into a flamingo gallery

The project will be spread over the area from Essel Studio in Mankhurd up to the jetty. While parking space has been planned on the left side, with an electrical buggy to take people inside, on the right side towards Trombay jetty there will be natural trails where people can walk

MUMBAI: M East, comprising 80 percent slums flanked by the Deonar dumping ground, is unglamorous to put it mildly. But it’s this unlikely ward that the BMC has chosen to launch a first-of-its kind eco-tourism initiative.

Mumbai’s citizens are currently unaware of the beautiful scenic location of Trombay Jetty.

In an endeavour to change the image of the slum-populated, neglected ward, the civic body plans to construct a flamingo viewing gallery, a digital museum and a mangrove cafe for Nature trails at the Trombay jetty. “It’s a ₹12.5-crore project,” said Alka Sasane, assistant commissioner, M East ward. “Apart from the flamingo gallery, there will be a mangrove park with a walkway inside the mangroves, three bird-watching towers, a museum, a turtle pond and a butterfly garden.”

At present, the names that spring to mind when flamingos are mentioned are Sewri Creek and Vashi, which attract thousands of bird-watchers. Trombay Jetty, being in a remote place, is not known for being a settlement of these and other migratory birds. “However, they do visit during the months of December and January,” said a civic official from M East ward, adding that the jetty has flocks of birds circling the mangroves. Currently, boats are parked haphazardly here, leading to sludge formation and stagnant water.

The project will be spread over the area from Essel Studio in Mankhurd up to the jetty. While parking space has been planned on the left side, with an electrical buggy to take people inside, on the right side towards Trombay jetty there will be natural trails where people can walk. The proposed metro station at Cheetah camp is 500 to 800 metres away.

Sasane said the BMC had already submitted the proposal to the forest department, mangrove cell, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and all the concerned authorities. “The intention is to push for eco-tourism,” she said. “We are not using concrete or harming the existing environment.”

The assistant commissioner maintained that a Nature-oriented public programme would “enhance” the ecosystem of flamingos, mudflats, mangroves and fisheries. “Our endeavour is to protect the bird habitat and ensure minimal damage in the mudflats area,” she said. “Shore pile decks can be proposed with minimal ground contact. The pillars will be constructed without any concrete reclamation overground or near the jetty.”

Mumbai’s citizens are currently unaware of the beautiful scenic location of Trombay Jetty. The trail amidst the dense mangrove forest is a sight in itself. With the BMC’s plans to shore up the marine ecosystem, many more Nature enthusiasts are bound to be attracted to the place.