Eleven Indian sites have been added to the Ramsar list, taking the number of wetlands of international importance in the country to 75 on the 75th year of Independence with Tamil Nadu topping the total list having (14 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10).
The breakup of the latest 11 sites shows that four are in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The new Indian wetlands of international importance are Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary, Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex, Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary and Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu; Tampara Lake, Hirakud Reservoir and Ansupa Lake in Odisha; Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve and Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir; Thane Creek in Maharashtra and Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, according to a statement from the Union Environment Ministry.
The Ramsar list aims at "developing and maintaining an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits".
On August 8, India had added 10 more wetlands designated as Ramsar sites to make a total 64 sites covering an area of 12,50,361 ha in the country. The 10 new sites included six (6) sites in Tamil Nadu and one (1) each in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
These were Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Vembannur Wetland Complex, Vellode Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu; Satkosia Gorge in Odisha; Nanda Lake in Goa; Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Karnataka and Sirpur Wetland in Madhya Pradesh.
A total of 26 sites were added to the Ramsar list from 1982 to 2013. Since 2014, 49 sites have bagged the coveted tag. Twenty-eight Indian sites have been declared wetlands of international importance this year itself.
"The designation of these sites would help in conservation and management of wetlands and wise use of their resources," the environment ministry said in a statement.
Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar sites (14), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10). The 75 Ramsar sites in the country cover an area of 13,26,677 hectares. India is one of the contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. New Delhi signed it on February 1, 1982.
"Every environment lover will feel happy that 10 more wetlands in India have been designated as Ramsar sites. Last month, 5 sites achieved the same recognition. This will deepen our commitment to protect our natural surroundings," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted soon after the coveted tags were announced to the wetlands.
India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. India signed it on 1st Feb 1982.