India, May 16 -- After six long years of waiting and petitioning, finally, success. The semi-wild Lokhandwala Lake, which has lately been draped in invasive species and algae and littered waste, is finally being cleaned. This is only half the battle won, residents note. The other half will be to ensure that the lake is and its rich biodiversity are better-protected in future. This is why residents want it declared a conservation reserve, as has been done with the DPS Flamingo Lake in Navi Mumbai.

After all, over 153 species of birds and about 10 species of fish rely on Lokhandwala Lake. In addition, there are lush mangroves in the region. All these ecosystems have suffered from having waste dumped on them by residents and commercial enti...