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Ramsar sites                                                                                                                               

3rd February, 2022

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Context: The Union Environment Ministry had notified two new Ramsar sites — Khijadiya wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.

 

About Khijadiya wildlife sanctuary:

  • Location: Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary located in Gujarat, India.
  • Uniqueness:
  • It have both fresh water lakes, salt and freshwater marshlands.
  • The critically endangered Indian bdellium-tree (Commiphora wightii) found here.
  • It is a freshwater wetland near the coast of the Gulf of Kutch.
  • It is located at the watershed of Ruparel river and Kalindri at the North East coastal region of Jamnagar district in the Gulf of Kutch.
  • The sanctuary is now part of Marine National Park, Jamnagar, the first marine national park in the country.
  • It is located near Narara Island, and has a bio-diversified coral reef.
  • The Site contributes to the maintenance of hydrological regimes, erosion protection and nutrient cycling. It is used for recreation and tourism, and scientific and educational activities

 

About Bakhira wildlife sanctuary:

  • Location: The Bakhira Bird Sanctuary is the largest natural flood plain wetland of India located in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The Grey-headed swamphen also called the Indian Purple moorhen is common breeding resident of this sanctuary.
  • This Sanctuary was established in 1980.
  • It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972); an “eco-sensitive zone” extends up to a kilometre around its boundary.
  • It is internationally important for its birdlife as it supports over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway.

 

Total no. of Ramsar sites in India: Presently, India has a network of 49 such sites, the highest in South Asia.

 

The Ramsar Convention 

  • It is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands
  • It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971.
  • The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits”.

 

Ramsar sites in India

Sl. No.

Name of Site

State Location

1

Kolleru Lake

Andhra Pradesh

2

Deepor Beel

Assam

3

Kabartal Wetland

Bihar

4

Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary

Gujarat

5

Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary

Gujarat

6

Wadhvana Wetland

Gujarat

7

Sultanpur National Park

Haryana

8

Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary

Haryana

9

Chandertal Wetland

Himachal Pradesh

10

Pong Dam Lake

Himachal Pradesh

11

Renuka Wetland

Himachal Pradesh

12

Wular Lake

Jammu & Kashmir

13

Hokera Wetland

Jammu and Kashmir

14

Surinsar-Mansar Lakes

Jammu and Kashmir

15

Tsomoriri Lake

Jammu and Kashmir

16

Asthamudi Wetland

Kerala

17

Sasthamkotta Lake

Kerala

18

Vembanad Kol Wetland

Kerala

19

Tso Kar Wetland Complex

Ladakh

20

Bhoj Wetlands

Madhya Pradesh

21

Lonar Lake

Maharashtra

22

Nandur Madhameshwar

Maharashtra

23

Loktak Lake

Manipur

24

Bhitarkanika Mangroves

Orissa

25

Chilka Lake

Orissa

26

Beas Conservation Reserve

Punjab

27

Harike Lake

Punjab

28

Kanjli Lake

Punjab

29

Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve

Punjab

30

Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary

Punjab

31

Ropar Lake

Punjab

32

Keoladeo Ghana NP

Rajasthan

33

Sambhar Lake

Rajasthan

34

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary

Tamil Nadu

35

Rudrasagar Lake

Tripura

36

Haiderpur Wetland

Uttar Pradesh

37

Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

38

Parvati Agra Bird Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

39

Saman Bird Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

40

Samaspur Bird Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

41

Sandi Bird Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

42

Sarsai Nawar Jheel

Uttar Pradesh

43

Sur Sarovar

Uttar Pradesh

44

Upper Ganga River
(Brijghat to Narora Stretch)

Uttar Pradesh

45

Asan Conservation Reserve

Uttarakhand

46

East Kolkata Wetlands

West Bengal

47

Sunderbans Wetland

West Bengal

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/two-more-ramsar-sites-announced-on-world-wetlands-day-7753955/