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NEW DELHI: India has proposed 26 more wetlands to be designated under Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental global treaty to preserve ecological character of selected wetlands across the globe. Once accepted, the total number of such wetlands in India will be 75 this year when the country completes 75 years of its independence.
So far, 49 wetlands from India are designated as sites of global importance under the Convention, signed in Ramar, Iran in 1971. The proposed new sites include Thane Creek from Maharashtra, Nanda Lake from Goa, 12 wetlands from Tamil Nadu, four from Odisha and three from Madhya Pradesh among others.
“We have sent our proposals for 26 new sites to the Ramsar Convention secretariat. We have been pushing for it as the identified sites fulfil all required criteria,” said a senior environment ministry official.
Member countries under the Convention identify the sites which can be of significant value for their eco-services and rich biodiversity. The wetlands – land areas covered by water, either seasonally or permanently – play a key role in flood control and as sources of water, food, fibre and raw materials. Besides, such land areas also support mangroves that protect coastlines and filter pollutants.
India’s space agency, ISRO, has mapped the country’s wetlands, covering 15.98 million hectares which is around 4.86% of the total geographic area of the country. A total of 2,31,195 wetlands (area >= 2.25 ha) have been mapped at 1:50,000 scale during 2017-18.
Any kind of encroachment, setting up of industry, expansion of existing industries, solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated wastes and effluents, poaching and any construction of a permanent nature are among the activities which are prohibited within the wetlands.
Wetlands in numbers
* No. of wetland sites in India under Ramsar Convention: 49
* No. of Ramsar sites globally: 2,439
India’s prominent wetlands in the list
Chilika lake areas (Odisha), Wular lake (J&K), Renuka (Himachal Pradesh), Sambhar lake (Rajasthan), Deepor Beel (Assam), East Kolkata wetlands (West Bengal), Nal Sarovar (Gujarat), Harika (Punjab), Rudra Sagar (Tripura) and Bhoj wetland (Madhya Pradesh)
26 proposed to be included in the list
*12 from Tamil Nadu include Chitrangudi, Koonthankulam, Udayamarthandapuram, Vaduvur, Vellode, Kanjirankulam and Karikili bird sanctuaries.
*4 from Odisha: Satkosia Gorge, Tampara Lake, Hirakud Reservoir and Ansupa Lake.
*3 from Madhya Pradesh: Sirpur wetland, Sakhya Sagar and Yashwant Sagar.
*2 from Jammu & Kashmir: Hygam and Shallbugh wetland conservation reserves.
*2 from Karnataka: Ranganathituu and Suchindram Theroor wetland complex.
*1 each from Goa (Nanda Lake), Maharashtra (Thane Creek) and Mizoram (Pala wetland).
So far, 49 wetlands from India are designated as sites of global importance under the Convention, signed in Ramar, Iran in 1971. The proposed new sites include Thane Creek from Maharashtra, Nanda Lake from Goa, 12 wetlands from Tamil Nadu, four from Odisha and three from Madhya Pradesh among others.
“We have sent our proposals for 26 new sites to the Ramsar Convention secretariat. We have been pushing for it as the identified sites fulfil all required criteria,” said a senior environment ministry official.
Member countries under the Convention identify the sites which can be of significant value for their eco-services and rich biodiversity. The wetlands – land areas covered by water, either seasonally or permanently – play a key role in flood control and as sources of water, food, fibre and raw materials. Besides, such land areas also support mangroves that protect coastlines and filter pollutants.
India’s space agency, ISRO, has mapped the country’s wetlands, covering 15.98 million hectares which is around 4.86% of the total geographic area of the country. A total of 2,31,195 wetlands (area >= 2.25 ha) have been mapped at 1:50,000 scale during 2017-18.
Any kind of encroachment, setting up of industry, expansion of existing industries, solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated wastes and effluents, poaching and any construction of a permanent nature are among the activities which are prohibited within the wetlands.
Wetlands in numbers
* No. of wetland sites in India under Ramsar Convention: 49
* No. of Ramsar sites globally: 2,439
India’s prominent wetlands in the list
Chilika lake areas (Odisha), Wular lake (J&K), Renuka (Himachal Pradesh), Sambhar lake (Rajasthan), Deepor Beel (Assam), East Kolkata wetlands (West Bengal), Nal Sarovar (Gujarat), Harika (Punjab), Rudra Sagar (Tripura) and Bhoj wetland (Madhya Pradesh)
26 proposed to be included in the list
*12 from Tamil Nadu include Chitrangudi, Koonthankulam, Udayamarthandapuram, Vaduvur, Vellode, Kanjirankulam and Karikili bird sanctuaries.
*4 from Odisha: Satkosia Gorge, Tampara Lake, Hirakud Reservoir and Ansupa Lake.
*3 from Madhya Pradesh: Sirpur wetland, Sakhya Sagar and Yashwant Sagar.
*2 from Jammu & Kashmir: Hygam and Shallbugh wetland conservation reserves.
*2 from Karnataka: Ranganathituu and Suchindram Theroor wetland complex.
*1 each from Goa (Nanda Lake), Maharashtra (Thane Creek) and Mizoram (Pala wetland).
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