5 more Indian sites added to Ramsar list as wetlands of international importance

New Delhi, July 26

Five more Indian sites, three from Tamil Nadu and one each from Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh, have been recognised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, taking the number of such sites in the country to 54, the Union environment ministry said on Tuesday.

The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain 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”.

“The emphasis PM Shri Narendra Modiji 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,” Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav tweeted.

Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu, Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh and Pala Wetland in Mizoram had made it to the coveted list, he said.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971.