A dedicated group of environmentally conscious citizens took a stand on the final day of 2023, convening for the "Chalo Chanakya" second phase protest, to raise awareness about the crucial need for conserving wetlands and mangroves. Their resolution is to initiate citizen-driven movements and protests aimed at safeguarding Navi Mumbai's extensive mangrove areas. The protest garnered significant support from citizens, students, residents, and institutions, emphasizing the urgency of preserving Chanakya Wetland—a haven for birds and the lungs of Navi Mumbai.

Situated behind the T S Chanakya maritime institute, Chanakya Lake is protected by a Bombay High Court order, covering an area of 14.74 hectares and owned by CIDCO. Despite court directives for CIDCO to transfer all mangroves to the Forest Department's Mangroves Cell, CIDCO has yet to comply and instead intends to allocate these areas to private developers. This neglect has led to inadequate maintenance of the lake, with reports of security personnel from a specific builder claiming ownership and intending to construct a hotel and residential towers.

Recent disturbing events include the ruthless destruction of over 50 healthy, fully grown mangrove trees in December 2023, near the resting place of migratory birds at Chanakya Lake. Despite complaints filed with the Mangroves Cell and Conservation Committee, authorities have passed responsibility among agencies, prompting a protest on December 24 led by environmental activists Sunil Agarwal and Dharmesh Barai. They demanded the protection of Chanakya Lake as per the High Court order and an FIR against those accountable for the mangrove destruction.

Prominent figures like Advocate Pradeep Patole, Dharmesh Barai, Rahul Raskar, Sameer Bagwan, Bharat Bhushan Gupta, Amitabh Singh, Priyanka Singh, Rekha Sankhala and her daughters, Shubham Nikam, and Rohit Joshi joined the protest. Their unified voice reverberates through social media with hashtags #saveChanakyalake, #savewetlands, #savemangroves, and #punishCulprits, echoing the urgent need for swift action to maintain ecological balance in this invaluable region.

Protesters are resolute, vowing to continue their demonstrations every Sunday at 8:00 am until their demands for protecting Chanakya Lake and holding the responsible parties accountable are met.