Two more wetlands in India have been assigned as Ramsar sites, bringing the total number of protected sites in the country to 49, according to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
The Ramsar Convention has designated the Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and the Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as wetlands of international importance. The announcement was made by the environment minister at a World Wetlands Day event on Wednesday at Sultanpur National Park, which was added to the Ramsar list last year.
“I am happy that two more wetlands have been added to the Ramsar sites. India now has a network of 49 Ramsar sites covering an area of 10.93 hectares, the highest in South Asia,” Yadav said.
The theme for World Wetlands Day was ‘Wetlands Action for People and Nature’.
The minister, along with MoS Environment Ashwini Choubey and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, also unveiled the National Wetland Decadal Change Atlas, which was created by the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad and highlights the changes that have occurred in wetlands over the last decade.
The United Nations designated February 2 as World Wetlands Day to commemorate the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the same day in 1971.
Wetlands, often known as ‘liquid assets are the most crucial natural resources that help stabilize water supplies, cleanse polluted waters, protect shorelines, and recharge groundwater aquifers.
Last year, two Haryana wetlands were added to the Ramsar list: Sultanpur National Park in Gurugram and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar. The total number of wetlands designated as Ramsar sites in India is now 49.