India, Feb. 3 -- The city of Navi Mumbai witnessed a peaceful demonstration on Sunday as environmentalists and nature lovers formed a 'silent human chain' to urge the Maharashtra government to declare the 30-acre wetlands near Nerul, frequented by flamingos, as a conservation reserve. The event, organised on the occasion of World Wetlands Day, took place near the DPS Flamingo Lake, drawing attention to the urgent need for wetland preservation.

The silent protest comes in the wake of a December RTI revelation that a nine-member committee, appointed by the state's mangrove cell, had recommended that the lake be designated as a conservation reserve. However, nearly six months after the recommendation, the proposal remains in limbo while the...