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India designates five new Ramsar sites, now total 54 sites in the country

Tags: National Science and Technology

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified 5 more Indian wetland sites as the Wetlands of International Importance or Ramsar Sites on 26 July 2022. Now the total number of Ramsar sites in the country is 54.

The newly notified sites are as follows: 

Karikili Bird Sanctuary: 

It is a protected bird sanctuary in the Kancheepuram district of Tamilnadu. 

Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest: 

It is a freshwater marsh in Chennai, Tamilnadu. It is also a bird sanctuary.

Pichavaram Mangrove forest: 

Pichavaram mangrove forest is located between two prominent estuaries, the Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south. The Vellar-Coleroon estuarine complex forms the Killai backwater and Pichavaram mangroves. It is in Tamilnadu.  It is also famous as a bird sanctuary.

Pala wetland:

It is the largest lake of Mizoram. It is located near Phura village in Saiha district. T

The lake is a major component of the Palak Wildlife Sanctuary and it supports the major biodiversity of the sanctuary.

Sakhya Sagar: 

Sakhya Sagar Lake is located in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh which borders the Madhav National Park. 

This lake was created in 1918 on the Manier River.  The lake is rich in Indian pythons, marsh crocodiles, monitor lizards, reptiles, etc.

What is wetlands 

• Wetland has been defined as any land area that is saturated or flooded with water, either seasonally or permanently. 
• Inland wetlands include aquifers, lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, peatlands, ponds, flood plains and swamps.
•  Coastal wetlands include all coastlines, mangroves, saltmarshes, estuaries, lagoons, seagrass meadows and coral reef

Ramsar Site 

• To protect the wetlands and its fragile ecosystem an international conference was organised in the city of Ramsar, Iran in 1971. 
•  The conference was called the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.  
• The convention provides a framework for the conservation of wetlands.
•  It maintains a database of important wetlands of its member countries which are to be protected and conserved and these wetlands are also called Wetlands of International Importance or Ramsar sites.

Ramsar Sites in India 

• State having maximum site under Ramsar : Uttar Pradesh , total 10 
• Largest Ramsar site in India : Sunderban of West Bengal 
• Smallest Ramsar site in India : Renuka in Himachal Pradesh 
• First Site to be included in Ramsar Site: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) in 1981.