10 More Wetlands in India declared Ramsar Sites

The Ramsar Convention has declared 10 more wetlands in India as sites of international importance, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar announced on January 28, 2020, in a major recognition for the government's effort towards conservation and rejuvenation of its wetlands. With this, a total of 37 sites in the country have been recognised under the international treaty.

Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines.

The Convention, signed in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord for preserving the ecological character of wetlands. Also known as the Convention on Wetlands, it aims to develop a global network of wetlands for conservation of biological diversity and for sustaining human life.

The total number of Ramsar sites in India is now 37 and the surface area covered by these sites is 10,67,939 ha. The 10 new Ramsar sites are:

·      Maharashtra:

o   Nandur Madhameshwar, a first in Maharashtra.

·      Punjab, which has three Ramsar sites, added three:

o   Keshopur-Miani,

o   Beas Conservation Reserve

o   Nangal

·      UP, which had one, has added six Ramsar sites:

o   Nawabganj

o   Parvati Agra

o   Saman

o   Samaspur

o   Sandi

o   Sarsai Nawar.

The other 27 Ramsar sites are in Rajasthan, Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.

Wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation. They are, in fact, a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater. In recent months, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has prepared a four pronged strategy for the restoration of wetlands which includes preparing a baseline data, wetland health cards, enlisting wetland mitras and preparing targeted Integrated Management Plans. The Ministry would be working closely with the State Wetland Authorities to ensure wise use of these sites.