India has designated five new wetlands of international importance, taking the total number of such regions in what is known as the Ramsar List from 49 to 54, the Union environment ministry said on Tuesday.
The Ramsar designation for the five wetlands -- Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu; Pala wetland in Mizoram and Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh -- denotes that these meet the criteria of a particular international standard under the
India has designated five new wetlands of international importance, taking the total number of such regions in what is known as the Ramsar List from 49 to 54, the Union environment ministry said on Tuesday.
The Ramsar designation for the five wetlands -- Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu; Pala wetland in Mizoram and Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh -- denotes that these meet the criteria of a particular international standard under the Conventional on Wetlands.
“The emphasis PM Shri@narendramodiji has put on environmental protection and conservation has led to a marked improvement in how India treats its wetlands. Delighted to inform that 5 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition as wetlands of international importance,” tweeted Bhupender Yadav, union environment minister.
India has the largest number of Ramsar wetlands in Asia, according to the ministry. With 54 wetlands, the area under Ramsar sites had increased to 1,098, 518 hectares.
Under the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty for conservation of wetlands, contracting parties are expected to identify and place suitable wetlands onto the List of Wetlands of International Importance, or the Ramsar List.
“The Ramsar designation recognises that a wetland site has global value. The Ramsar also calls for wise use of the wetland. India has recently declared many Ramsar sites and this is an opportunity to appraise our wetland management and ensure we don’t carry out activities that harm the ecological integrity of the area. Pallikaranai, much like Assam’s Deepor beel, is used as a garbage dump. Sultanpur, also a recent wetland site, is set to have rampant construction on its eco-sensitive zone - but we have to keep sewage treatments in mind so waste does not go inside wetlands. The Ramsar designation should mean that we consider the ecological needs of the wetland as first priority, before planning other low-impact activities and wetland uses,” said Neha Sinha, conservation biologist and author.
The Convention has several mechanisms to help signatories like India designate their most significant wetlands and to take the steps necessary to manage them effectively. “Ramsar sites are designated because they meet the criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance. The first criterion refers to sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types, and the other eight cover sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity. These criteria emphasise the importance the convention places on sustaining biodiversity,” according to the Ramsar convention website.
For instance, the Pichavaram mangrove, which got the Ramsar tag on April 8 this year, is one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in India. Located between estuaries of the Vellar and Coleroon rivers, has littoral and swamp forest habitats, according to Ramsar website.
It offers waterscape and backwater cruises and mangrove trees here are permanently rooted in a few feet of water. Pichavaram mangrove supports several threatened species such as the critically endangered great white-bellied heron, spoon-billed sandpiper, the endangered spotted greenshank and the vulnerable olive ridley turtle.
The Pala wetland, which got the tag last year, is the largest natural wetland in Mizoram. It is a deep lake (over 16 metres deep on average) and the wetland supports a rich diversity of animal species, including at least 7 mammals, 222 birds, 11 amphibians and 21 reptiles. The low-lying marshy areas within the wetland provide excellent habitat for sambar deer, wild pig and barking deer. It’s also a habitat for the endangered Hoolock gibbon and Phayre’s leaf monkey. Pala Wetland is revered by the local Mara people, according to the Ramsar site.
Another important wetland designated as Ramsar site is in fact a marsh in Chennai city that plays a very important role in preventing flooding. Pallikaranai marsh is a freshwater marsh and partly saline wetland located about 20 kilometres south of Chennai and serves as an aquatic buffer for the flood-prone Chennai and Chengalpattu districts, according to Ramsar.
The marshland supports some 115 bird species, ten mammals, 21 reptiles, ten amphibians, 46 fish, 9 molluscs, 5 crustaceans, and 7 butterfly species. These include notable species such as Russell’s viper and birds such as the glossy ibis, grey-headed lapwings and Pheasant-tailed jacana. Apart from its biodiversity value, the wetland also plays a role in the prevention of flooding in Chennai, soaking up water during wet periods and releasing it during dry spells, the website adds.
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