The wildlife sanctuary hosts a delicate ecosystem that makes it Asia's largest breeding ground for Lesser and Greater flamingoes. In the monsoon, the collusion of sea, river and rainwater allows a rich flow of nutrients and creates mudflats that are favoured by these birds. So spectacular are the numbers that flock to this site that the BNHS and Birdlife International have labeled it an ‘Important Bird Area'.
The expert committee comprising Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh, Dr. Divyabhanusinh Chavda and Dr. Asad Rahmani, that had visited Flamingo City had taken note of the unique balance created by the ecosystem and had written in their report: “This road must not be constructed under any circumstance" as “it would, in all probability, result in the abandonment of this breeding site and thus, India would lose the only breeding site of flamingoes, which in turn could spell doom to the population of these birds in the Indian subcontinent".
The committee had also recommended an “alternate alignment, which is feasible, cost-effective and easy to build, would serve a greater use and not have a significant adverse impact." These recommendations though, were discarded along with the members of the previous board.
Apart from irreversibly damaging Flamingo City, the road also threatens numerous other ecological and historical sites such as the sacred grove of Shravan Kavadia and the ruins of the ancient city of Dholavira.
This Gujarat state endorsed project is ostensibly in the name of border security, but conservationists claim that the real reason is to expand tourism in Kutchh.
Author: Cara Tejpal.Â
