India adds 10 new wetlands to the Ramsar sites list — Details

So far, 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 ha have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance from India

The Union environment ministry on Wednesday announced that India has added 10 more wetlands, taking the total Ramsar sites to 64. The new sites include six wetlands from Tamil Nadu and one each from Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

A thriving wetland in India. (HT File Photo)

“Absolutely thrilled to inform that 10 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition as wetlands of international importance. This takes India’s tally of Ramsar sites to 64. Special congratulations to Odisha, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh,” Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav tweeted earlier today.

So far, 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 ha have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance from India. The 10 new designated sites include Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, a man-made wetland in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. This is the largest reserve for breeding resident and migratory water birds in south India and an important bird and biodiversity area forming part of the central Asian flyway. The wetland also irrigates about 190 acres of paddy.

The Nanda Lake in Goa has freshwater marshes that lie adjacent to one of the major rivulets of the Zuari river. This enables the locals to store water during the off-monsoon season. The stored water is also utilised to cultivate paddy downstream of the lake and supports fishing and recreation. The lake is a habitat for Black-headed ibis, Common kingfisher, Wire-tailed swallow, Bronze-winged jacana, Brahminy kite among others.

The Satkosia gorge, which has also been included, spreads along the Mahanadi river in Odisha. Established in 1976 as a wildlife sanctuary, Satkosia is the meeting point of two biogeographic regions of India – the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity, the ministry said.

The Satkosia gorge wetland is a mosaic of marshes and evergreen forests. The forests of these catchments play a vital role in the prevention of the gorge siltation. They also help in maintaining a desirable depth of water crucial for the endangered gharial population.

Among seven others that have been included in the list, the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (GoMBR) is one of the most important, located on the southeastern coastline. It is unique for its rich marine environment. The reserve area is also home to several globally important and highly threatened species such as the Dugong, whale shark, seahorses, balanoglossus, green sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, dolphins, sacred chanks, etc.

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, also known as the Ramsar List. The Convention has several mechanisms to guide parties designate their most significant wetlands as Ramsar Sites, and to take the steps necessary to manage them effectively by maintaining their ecological character.

“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 emphasize the importance the convention places on sustaining biodiversity,” the convention’s website states.

Last month, India designated five new wetlands of international importance – the Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu; Pala wetland in Mizoram and Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh.

“The 10 new sites are some of India’s most picturesque ones. Many of them are also important bird areas, significant for the migratory birds on the central Asian flyway that gets more than 20,000 birds each year. This is a good opportunity for the state to decide what kind of expansion we want to have in our Ramsar sites. There is a proposed pharmaceutical expansion inside the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary, India’s oldest bird sanctuary. There is a proposal to expand pharma production inside the wetland, which is chemical-intensive and does not help the wetland as a habitat. We need to rethink. With so many new Ramsar sites, India should draw up a fresh approach for wetlands- sites with global importance should support artisanal livelihoods and activities which sustain the ecosystem, not hinder it,” wildlife biologist and author Neha Sinha said.