World Wetlands Day

2 February 2022

In 2018, when my former crush and I had opened our conversation on Tinder, I hadn’t answered directly in which town I lived. Instead, I gave him the exact latitude and longitude of my neighbourhood and told him that my building was very close to salt pans. He loved the answer and replied that this was the first time that he’d received coordinates and he’d have to think wherein the radius of his Tinder search salt pans lay.

The wetlands of Vasai attract migratory birds and cattle find fodder. These quagmires are under threat because on these lands some people want to construct a chic city with factories, entertainment zones, education centres, modern apartments etc. This green zone is the rainwater sink of our town. Save our wetlands.

A civilization that destroys wetlands that host a whole range of biodiversity isn’t civilized. You’ll see flamingoes, white ibis and storks here. Migratory birds from far off lands rest their weary wings. Cattle graze. These marshes teem with fish, crabs and worms.

Locals have choked the wetlands with plastic and garbage. This has made mosquitoes breed in the stagnant water. Then they think that wetlands are harmful because of their swampy nature. No, they have dirtied the place. These places can have crystal clear lakes and be spotlessly clean. Wetlands have a right to live and breathe.

[These pictures are NOT of those in my town but sourced from Pixabay.]

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