Context:
Four more wetlands included under the Ramsar Convention.
Ramsar Sites in India:
- India ranks 3rd globally with 89 Ramsar sites, after the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144).
- India has the highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia.
- Tamil Nadu leads with 20 Ramsar sites, the highest number in the country.
- New Ramsar Sites –
- Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
- Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim.
- Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand.
Khecheopalri Lake (Sikkim):
- Cirque-type wetland
- Originally known as Kha-Chot-Palri, meaning “the heaven of Padmasambhava.”
- Considered sacred by both Buddhists and Hindus and believed to be a wish-fulfilling lake (therefore, also known as ‘Wishing Lake’).
Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary (Jharkhand):
- Named after Saint Uddhava from Mahabharata
- Located on the floodplain of the Ganga River.
- Consists of 2 interconnected water bodies, Patauda and Berhale, linked by a water channel.
- Recognized as a Wild Life Sanctuary and an Important Bird Area (IBA)
Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu):
- Near Gulf of Mannar
- An irrigation tank that stores water for agriculture, recharged by the northeast monsoon from October to January.
- Lies along the Central Asian Flyway
Therthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu):
- Near Gulf of Mannar, on the Central Asian Flyway
- Notable for Babul trees
Read more about Ramsar Convention
Source: PIB
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.