Context:
Two wetlands in Rajasthan, Khichan and Menar were declared Ramsar Sites on world environment day 2025
Khichan Wetland:
- Located in the Thar Desert
- Comprise Ratri Nadi (river) and Vijaysagar Talab (pond).
- Famous for Demoiselle Cranes
- A critical stop along the Central Asian Flyway.
Menar Wetland Complex:
- A freshwater monsoon wetland complex formed by 3 ponds—Braham Talab, Dhand Talab, and Kheroda Talab.
- Home to critically endangered species like the White-rumped Vulture and Long-billed Vulture.
- Known as “Bird Village”, attracting eco-tourists
Ramsar Convention:
- An intergovernmental treaty under UNESCO that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
- Adopted in – Ramsar (Iran) in 1971.
- Ramsar sites in India – 91
- Ramsar site – a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
- Largest Ramsar site in India – Sundarbans, West Bengal
Source: TOI
Previous Year Question
Consider the following pairs:
Wetlands: Confluence of rivers
1. Harike Wetlands: Confluence of Beas and Satluj/Sutlej
2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park: Confluence of Banas and Chambal
3. Kolleru Lake: Confluence of Musi and Krishna
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2014 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Keoladeo Ghana National Park is situated at the confluence of the Gambhir and Banganga rivers.
Kolleru Lake lies between the Godavari and Krishna river deltas. Hence, pairs 2 and 3 are not correctly matched.