India added 59 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites during 2014-2024
New Delhi: India has increased its tally of Ramsar sites to 85 from existing 82 by designating three more wetlands as Ramsar Sites. With this addition, the area of Ramsar sites touched to 1358067.757 ha in the country.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav informed on the eve of Independence Day 2024 that India
In a post on X, Bhupendre Yadav expressed happiness on addition of three Ramsar sites on the eve of Independence Day, saying India needs to pledge that Viksit Bharat is a Green Bharat.
The three new sites included are Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh.
“These new designated sites are a testament to the significant policy push from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for wetlands conservation and management in the country” said the Ministry in a statement.
Yadav also said that the achievement reflects the emphasis Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has laid on establishing harmony with nature, calling our wetlands Amrit Dharohars, and working relentlessly for their conservation.
Union Minister congratulated the states of Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh whose wetlands have been added to the Ramsar sites. Yadav also said that India needs to pledge that Viksit Bharat is a Green Bharat.
India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.
India became a signatory to the convention on 1st February 1982. During 1982 to 2013, a total of 26 sites were added to the list of Ramsar sites, however, during 2014 to 2024, the country has added 59 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites.
Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary: Nanjarayan Lake is located on the Tiruppur -Uthukkuli main road about 10 km north of Tiruppur city in an area of 125.865 Ha near Sarkar Periyapalayam village in Tiruppur district. About 191 species of birds, 87 species of butterflies, 7 species of amphibians, 21 species of reptiles, 11 species of small mammals and 77 species of plants have been recorded in and around the lake.
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary: It covering an area of 5151.6 ha was declared as the 16th bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu in the year 2021. It is a brackish shallow lake located on the Coromandel Coast in Villupuram district, North of Pondicherry. The lake is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India.The Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary lies in the Central Asian Flyway and is an important stopover site for migratory species of birds and breeding ground for resident species of birds, breeding ground for fish and serves as a major recharge source for the aquifers.
Tawa Reservoir: has been constructed at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers. River Malani, Sonbhadra, and Nagdwari are the major tributaries of Tawa reservoir. Tawa River, a left bank tributary originates from Mahadeo hills in Chhindwara district, flows through Betul district and joins river Narmada in Narmadapuram district. It is the longest tributary of river Narmada (172 Km).
Tawa Reservoir is situated near Itarsi town. The reservoir was built mainly for irrigation purpose. Although later on it is also being used for power generation and aquaculture. The total submergence area of Tawa reservoir is 20,050 hectares. The total catchment area of the reservoir is 598,290 hectares.
