3 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites

3 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites

Context:

India adds 3 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites on the eve of Independence Day 2024

With this addition, the tally of Ramsar sites touches to 85 covering an area of 1358068 ha in the country.

Three new sites included are

1. Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, Tamilnadu
2. Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and
3. Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh.

The country has added 59 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites during 2014-2024

vThese new designated sites are a testament to the significant policy push from the Ministry for wetlands conservation and management in the country.

1. Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary:

ØThe Nanjarayan lake a large shallow wetland situated along the north-eastern region of Uthukuli Taluk of Tiruppur District in Tamil Nadu.

ØThe wetlands in this region depend mainly on weather conditions, especially on heavy rain water flow from Nallar drainage.

ØArea: 125.865 Ha

The lake got its name from the fact that it was repaired and restored by King Nanjarayan who was ruling the region many centuries ago.

ØAbout 191 species of birds, 87 species of butterflies, 7 species of amphibians, 21 species of reptiles, 11 species of small mammals and 77 species of plants have been recorded in and around the lake.

ØThe site acts as feeding and nesting habitat for resident bird species, migratory birds use this lake as their feeding ground during the migratory season

ØThe lake also serves as important water source for agricultural purpose in the region.

ØThe lake plays vital role in ground water recharge.

ØThe lake is announced as 17th bird sanctuary of state of Tamil Nadu owing to its rich avifaunal diversity.

ØThe local community has already formed strong association in protecting the lake and its habitat.

ØThe forest department in collaboration with the local community manages the lake on sustainable basis.

2. The Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary:

It is a brackish shallow lake located on the Coromandel Coast in Villupuram district, North of Pondicherry.

ØThe lake is connected to the Bay of Bengal by the brackish Uppukalli creek and the Edayanthittu Estuary.

ØKazhuveli is one of the significant and biodiversity rich wetlands.

ØThe lake is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India.

ØThe lake can be divided into three parts based on the water features viz.,

1the estuarine part with brackish water,

2the Uppukali creek feeding the sea water and

3the Kazuveli basin with fresh water.

Area: 5151.6 ha

It was declared as the 16th bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu in the year 2021.

The Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary lies in the Central Asian Flyway and is an important stopover site for migratory species of birds and breeding ground for resident species of birds, breeding ground for fish and serves as a major recharge source for the aquifers.

In areas of brackish water highly degraded mangrove patches containing Avicennia species are found

In the earlier years, this area was reportedly harbouring Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests

In this area, reed (Typhaangustata) is found in several hundred hectares.

3.The Tawa Reservoir:

ØIt has been constructed at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers.

ØRiver Malani, Sonbhadra, and Nagdwari are the major tributaries of Tawa reservoir.

ØTawa River, a left bank tributary originates from Mahadeo hills in Chhindwara district, flows through Betul district and joins river Narmada in Narmadapuram district.

ØIt is the longest tributary of river Narmada (172 Km).

ØTawa Reservoir is situated near Itarsi town.

ØThe reservoir was built mainly for irrigation purpose.

ØAlthough later on it is also being used for power generation and aquaculture.

ØIt comes under the administrative control of Forest department of district Narmadapuram.

The reservoir is located inside the Satpura Tiger Reserve and forms the western boundary of the Satpura National Park and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary.

Reservoir is important for aquatic flora and fauna especially birds and wild animals.

Many rare and endangered species of plants, reptiles and insects are found here.

It is an important habitat for many local and migratory birds.

It is the largest protected area in the state Madhya Pradesh