Nanjarayan, Kazhuveli & Tawa Reservoir newly added Ramsar Sites
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Three new sites -Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh—have been designated as Wetlands of International Importance or Ramsar Sites, bringing the total number of wetlands declared as Ramsar sites in India to 85.
Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, announced the addition of the three new wetlands to the Ramsar site on 14 August 2024.
Newly Added Ramsar Sites In India
The addition of the three new wetlands--Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary (125.865 hectares), Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary(5151.6 hectares), and Tawa Reservoir (20050 hectares) ) takes the total area under Ramsar sites to 1358067.757 hectares.
|
Wetland Name |
Location |
Area |
Geographical feature |
Species found |
|
Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) |
Situated in the Northeastern region of Uthukuli Taluk of Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu. |
125.865 Hectares |
|
191 species of birds, 7 species of amphibians, 87 species of butterflies, 11 species of small mammals, 21 species of reptiles and 77 species of plants. |
|
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) |
located on the Coromandel Coast in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. |
5151.6 hectares |
Lake is divided into three parts based on the water features -
|
Important stopover for the Central Asian birds, Major recharge source for the aquifers brackish water, mangrove patches contain Avicennia Typha angustata reed species found. |
|
Tawa Reservoir (Madhya Pradesh) |
Inside the Satpura Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. . |
20,050 Hectares. |
|
Rare and endangered species of reptiles plants, and insects are found. Important habitat for many local and migratory birds. |
What is a Ramsar Site?
Ramar Site refers to wetlands that have been notified by the signatory countries of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance as being of international importance.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance came into force in 1975.
An international conference was held in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 to build an international consensus on conserving and preserving wetlands worldwide.
The list of the Ramsar sites is maintained by the Ramsar convention's secretariat, based at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.
India and Ramsar Convention
India ratified the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982.
- First Indian wetland sites- Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Chilika Lake (Odisha) in 1981.
- Tamil Nadu has 18 sites, and Uttar Pradesh has 10.
- Largest Ramsar site: Sunderban of West Bengal
- Smallest Ramsar: Renuka in Himachal Pradesh
What is a Wetland?
Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or is present either at or near the soil's surface all year or for varying periods of time during the year. The wetlands can be on lands or coastal areas.
