Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) announced that 3 wetlands from India namely Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu (TN) and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh (MP) were designated as Wetlands of International Importance, also known as Ramsar Sites.
- With this addition, the number of Ramsar sites in India becomes 85, covering an area of 1,358,068 hectares (ha).
- TN has the highest number of Ramsar sites (18) followed by Uttar Pradesh (UP) (10).
Note: Globally, 2520 wetlands are tagged as Ramsar sites. Wetlands play crucial roles in supporting biodiversity, providing habitats for migratory birds, and acting as the most effective carbon sinks on the Earth.
What is the Ramsar Convention?
i.It is an international intergovernmental agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands for the world’s sustainable development.
- It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem.
ii.The signing of the Convention on Wetlands took place in 1971 in the small Iranian town of Ramsar and came into effect in 1975
- India became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1982 and has added 59 new sites from 2014 to 2024.
Newly Added 3 Ramsar Sites of India:
| Name of the Wetland | Location | Area (in hectares) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary | Tiruppur District, TN | 125.865 | ||
| Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary | Villupuram District, TN | 5151.600 | ||
| Tawa Reservoir | Itarsi town, MP | 20050.000 | ||
| Total Area of the 3 Wetlands | 25,327.465 | |||
Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary:
i.Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, located along the northeastern region of Uthukuli Taluk of Tiruppur District in TN, is a large shallow wetland spread across 125.865 ha.
ii.Nanjarayan Lake is situated near Sarkar Periyapalayam village and lies about 10 kilometers (km) north of Tiruppur city.
- The lake, vital for groundwater recharge and agriculture, was repaired and restored by King Nanjarayan, from whom it gets its name.
- The TN government notified the Nanjarayan tank as the 17th bird sanctuary of TN in 2022.
iv.The sanctuary houses 191 species of birds, 87 species of butterflies, 77 species of plants, and various other wildlife. It is a crucial habitat for both local and migratory birds.
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary:
i.The Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary spans 5,151.6 ha lies on the Central Asian Flyway, serving as a crucial stopover for migratory birds.
ii.The Kazhuveli wetland was declared as the 16th bird sanctuary of TN in 2021.
iii.This brackish shallow lake located on the Coromandel Coast in the Villupuram district, north of Pondicherry, is connected to the Bay of Bengal through the Uppukalli Creek and Edayanthittu Estuary.
- The lake is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India, supporting diverse ecosystems.
Tawa Reservoir:
i.The Tawa Reservoir has been constructed at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers and is situated near Itarsi town in MP.
- The Tawa River, the longest tributary (172 km) of the Narmada River, originates from the Mahadeo hills in the Chhindwara district, MP.
ii.River Malani, Sonbhadra, and Nagdwari are the major tributaries of the Tawa reservoir.
iii.Originally built for irrigation, the reservoir also supports power generation and aquaculture.
iv.The reservoir covers a submergence area of 20,050 ha with a catchment area of 598,290 ha.
- Tawa Reservoir comes under the administrative control of the Forest Department, district Narmadapuram, MP.
v.It is located inside the Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) and forms the western boundary of the Satpura National Park (SNP) and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS).
Key Points:
i.India’s Ramsar wetlands comprise about 10% of India’s total wetland area, spread across 18 states.
ii.To be designated a Ramsar site, a wetland must meet at least one of 9 criteria defined by the Ramsar Convention of 1971.
iii.The National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA) compiled by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), estimates India’s wetlands cover about 152,600 square kilometers (sq. km.), which is 4.63% of India’s total geographical area.
- A little over two-fifths are inland natural wetlands and about a quarter are coastal wetlands.
iv.India has 19 types of wetlands, with Gujarat having the maximum area, followed by Andhra Pradesh (AP), UP, and West Bengal (WB).
- Wetlands in UP and Gujarat serve as important spaces for migratory birds.
Recent related News:
On 30th June 2024, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched the ‘Fauna of India Checklist Porta, the 1st comprehensive document on the faunal species reported from India.
About the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC):
Union Minister– Bhupender Yadav (Constituency- Alwar, Rajasthan)
Minister of State (MoS)- Kirti Vardhan Singh (Constituency- Gonda, Uttar Pradesh)
