Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav has announced the addition of two new wetlands to India’s Ramsar network.
These are the Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah district, Uttar Pradesh and Chhari-Dhand in Kutch district of Gujarat. Mr Yadav highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s Ramsar network has expanded by over 276 per cent, from 26 sites in 2014 to 98 sites at present.
He stated that the international recognition reflects India’s strong commitment to protecting the environment and conserving its wetlands. The Minister informed that the two wetlands provide habitat to hundreds of migratory and resident bird species. The areas are also home to wildlife such as chinkara, wolves, caracal, desert cats and desert foxes, besides endangered birds.
India is one of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. India became a signatory to the convention on 1st February 1982. These sites are significant, as they can serve as model examples of the nation’s commitment to conservation and management under internationally accepted frameworks.
