UPSC PRELIMS_POWER PLAY-GEOGRAPHY SERIES (RAMSAR SITES)

IMPORTANT RAMSAR SITES

The Convention’s mission is ―the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world‖.

Wetlands are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems. They provide essential services and supply all our fresh water. However they continue to be degraded and converted to other uses.

The Convention uses a broad definition of wetlands. It includes all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans.

Under the ―three pillars‖ of the Convention, the Contracting Parties commit to:
work towards the wise use of all their wetlands;
designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the ―Ramsar List) and ensure their effective management; cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species. 

Ramsar sites in India, compiled state wise.


 Jammu & Kashmir 

J & K has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India. There are 4 Ramsar sites in J & K. The reason is clear, due to its glacial topography; water-lands remain even at high altitudes.

1. Wular Lake- 

• The largest freshwater lake in India.
• Jhelum flows through it.
• The Tulbul project is on this river.
• The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River.

 2. Tso moriri-

•  the largest of the high altitude lakes in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region, entirely within India.
• sits between Ladakh, India to the North, Tibet to the east, and Zanskar in the west.
• The place is heaven on earth.
• a lake in the Ladakhi part of the Changthang Plateau (literally: northern plains) in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India.
• the largest of the high altitude lakes entirely within India and entirely within Ladakh in this Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region.
• The official name of the land and water reserve here is the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve.
• fed by springs and snow-melt from neighboring mountains.

Most water enters the lake in two major stream systems, one entering the lake from the north, the other from the southwest.

• Both stream systems include extensive marshes where they enter the lake.
• It formerly had an outlet to the south, but this has become blocked and the lake has become a endorheic lake.
• The lake is oligotrophic in nature, and its waters are alkaline.
• there are four groups and Tso Moriri falls under the third group of ―remnant lakes".

Fauna and Flora
Avifauna

Thirty-four species of birds included 14 species of water birds of which following are the vulnerable species

• Black-necked cranes endangered.
• Bar-headed geese – only breeding ground in India
• Brown-headed gulls
• Great crested grebe  (rare)
•  Ferruginous pochard
• Black-necked grebe  (rare)

Mammals

• Tibetan gazelle, Procapra picticaudata, Goa antelope (threatened)
• Lynx
• Nayan Ovis ammon hodgsoni
• Bharal Himalayan blue sheep
• Tibetan Ass or Equus kiang, endemic to the Tibetan Plateau
• Great Tibetan Sheep
• One species of marmot, Marmota himalayana in large numbers seen on the hill slopes surrounding the lake and also along the roadsides
• One species of hare, Lepus oistolus
• One species of vole, Alticola roylei
• Three species of mouse hares, Ochotona macrotis, Ochotona curzoniae or Tibetan sand fox and Scincella ladacensis

Large carnivores

• Carnivores fauna reported are:
• the snow leopard (Uncia uncia)
• the Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco)

Ramsar site-notified in November 2002 under the List of Ramsar Wetland sites under the Ramsar
Convention.


3. Hokersar Wetland-

• a wetland situated near Srinagar.
• Thousands of migratory birds come to Hokersar from Siberia and other regions in the winter season.
•  Migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia use wetlands in Kashmir as their transitory camps.
•  Date of Declaration: 08/11/05
• Located at the northwest Himalayan biogeopgraphic province of Kashmir, back of the snowdraped  Pir Panchal only 10 km from scenic paradise of Srinagar.
• the only site with remaining reedbeds of Kashmir and pathway of 68 waterfowl species like Large Egret, Great Crested Grebe, Little Cormorant, Common Shelduck, Tufted Duck and endangered White-eyed Pochard, coming from Siberia, China, Central Asia, and Northern Europe.
• an important source of food, spawning ground and nursery for fishes, besides offering feeding and breeding ground to a variety of water birds.
• Typical marshy vegetation complexes inhabit like Typha, Phragmites, Eleocharis, Trapa, and Nymphoides species ranging from shallow water to open water aquatic flora.

4. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes-

• Freshwater composite lake in Panjab Plains, adjoining the Jhelum Basin 
• Surinsar is rain-fed without permanent discharge, and Mansar is primarily fed by surface run-off and partially by mineralised water through paddy fields, with inflow increasing in rainy season.
• The lake supports CITES and IUCN Red listed Lissemys punctata, Aspideretes gangeticus, and Mansariella lacustris.
• an attractive habitat, breeding and nursery ground for migratory waterfowls like Fulica atra, Gallinula chloropus, Podiceps nigricollis, Aythya fuligula, and various Anas species.
• Mythical origin from the Mahabharata period.

Himachal Pradesh

Pong Dam Lake

• Maharana Pratap Sagar in India, also known as Pong Reservoir or Pong Dam Lake was created in 1975, by building the highest earthfill dam in India on the Beas River in the wetland zone of the Siwalik Hills of the Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh.
• Named in the honour of Maharana Pratap (1572–1597), the reservoir or the lake is a well-known wildlife sanctuary and one of the 25 international wetland sites declared in India by the Ramsar Convention.
• The Pong Reservoir and Gobindsagar Reservoir are the two most important fishing reservoirs in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh.
• The Beas River, on which the Pong Dam is located, is one of the five major rivers of
• the Indus basin.
• The reservoir peripheral land area has mixed perennial and deciduous pine forests on hills.
• Eucalyptus trees have also been grown in the area.
• The forest growth provides enough sustenance to the migratory birds.
• The tree species of the forest area are acacia, jamun, shisham, mango, mulberry, ficus,kachanar, amla andprunus.
• A variety of shrubs, grasses and climbers have also been reported.
• Before the reservoir was built, catfishes, mirror carps and a few coarse fish were the dominant fish fauna in the Beas River.
• The reservoir was declared as a bird sanctuary in 1983.
• The periphery above the water surface area of the reservoir has recorded fauna species such as barking deer, sambar, wild boars, leopards and oriental small-clawed otters.

Himanchal Pradesh

      Renuka Lake-

• Renuka lake is the largest lake in Himachal, named after Goddess Renuka.
•  dry mixed deciduous forest and dry sal forest.

      Chandra Taal-

• Situated in the Spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh (India), Chandra
• originates from its crescent shape.
• Situated in the Spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh (India), Chandra Taal is a popular destination for trekkers and campers.
• During springtime, these meadows are carpeted with hundreds of kinds of wildflowers.
• The lake is situated on the Samudra Tapu plateau, which overlooks the Chandra River.
• The lake is one of two high-altitude wetlands of India which have been designated as Ramsar sites.

Kerala

  Sasathamkotta Lake- 

• the largest fresh water lake in Kerala
• The lake is named after the ancient Sastha temple (a pilgrimage centre) located on its bank.
• It meets the drinking water needs of half million people of the Quilon district and also provides fishing resources.
• The purity of the lake water for drinking use is attributed to the presence of large population of larva called cavaborus that consumes bacteria in the lake water.
• The lake is a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since November 2002.
• The Lake water is reported to be free of common salt or other minerals and metals.
• Vegetation is negligible and rooted plants and floating plants are unimportant and insignificant.
• The crops grown on the banks of the lake, apart from paddy, are the plantation crops such as cashewnut, tapioca and plantain.
• 27 species of freshwater fishes
• The Common Teal or dabbling duck is the smallest migratory bird found in the lake.

2. Vembanad-Kol Wetland-

• Longest lake in India, and the largest lake in the state of Kerala.
• Also counted as one of the largest lakes in India.
• Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Punnamada Lake in Kuttanad, Kochi Lake in Kochi.
• High levels of pollution have been noticed at certain hotspots of the Vembanad backwaters.
• Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
• The lake is fed by 10 rivers flowing into it including the six major rivers of central Kerala namel the Achenkovil, Manimala, Meenachil,Muvattupuzha, Pamba and Periyar.
• The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the northern fringes of Kumarakom village.
• Defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands in 2002.
• Largest of the three Ramsar Sites in the state of Kerala.
• home to more than 20,000 waterfowls - the third largest such population in India.
• Also an ideal habitat for shrimps.

3. Ashtamudi Wetland Lake-

• Ashtamudi Lake is a palm-shaped (also called octopus-shaped) large water body
• the most visited backwater and lake in the state.
• The lake is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala and is well known for its houseboat and backwater resorts.
• Kallada River is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake.
• The Kallada river, which originates near Ponmudi from the Kulathupuzha hills Western Ghats  is formed by the confluence of three rivers, viz.,Kulathupuzha, Chenthurnipuzha, and Kalthuruthipuzha.
• it is Kerala’s deepest estuary.
• has mangroves Avicennia officinalis, Brugiera gymnorrhiza and Sonneratia caseolaris as also 43 species of marshy and mangrove associates including two endangered species Syzygium travancoricum (endangered species according to the Red Data Book of Indian Plants) and Calamus rotang in theTerrestrial system.
• These species offer excellent scope for development of marine bioreserve to promote ecotourism in the estuarine of the lake.
• IUCN lists the two endangered species in IUCN 2008.
• The major threats to the endangered species are reportedly draining of the wet lands and conversion into paddy fields. 

 Punjab

1. Harike- 

• also known as ―Hari-ke-Pattan‖, is the largest wetland in northern India.
• The wetland and the lake were formed by constructing the headworks across the Sutlej river, in 1953.
•  man-made, riverine, lacustrine wetland spreads into the three districts of Amritsar,Ferozepur and Kapurthala in Punjab .
• The grand Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan is fed from this source.
• The lake is triangular in shape, with its apex in the west, bounded by a bund called the Dhussi Bund forming one side, a canal in the second and a major road on the third. 
• The rich biodiversity of the wetland, with several species of birds, species of turtles, species of snakes, taxa of amphibians, taxa of fishes and taxa of invertebrates, is reportedly unique.
• The wetland was declared a bird sanctuary in 1982 and named as Harike Pattan Bird Sanctuary 
• Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) carried out research and a bird ringing programme during the period 1980–85.
• Red list of Threatened Animals, are found in the wetland.
• The Indus dolphin supposed to have become extinct in India after 1930, but largely found in the Indus river system in Pakistan, was recently sighted in the Beas River in Harike wetland
• area  classified as a critically endangered species in the Red Data Book of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is considered a significant find. 
• An authority on freshwater dolphins with the endangered species management wing of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun has also confirmed this finding. 
• However, in the same Beas River, about 140 km downstream of the Harike Barrage in Pakistan territory, Indus dolphins are commonly found.

2. Kanjali-

• a man made Wetland, which subsumes the Kanjli Lake. 
• located in the Kapurthala district of Punjab state in India, was created in 1870 
• recognized internationally by the Ramsar Convention in 2002 by designating the Kanjli Lake in the List of Wetlands of International Importance. 
• Kanjli is upstream of Harike wetland located in the Beas river basin while the Ropar wetland is in the Roopnagar district. 
•  Twelve varieties of trees recorded in the wetland
•  The tortoise is the common reptile reported in the area.

3. Ropar-Ropar Wetland, 

• also named Ropar Lake, is a man-made freshwater riverine and lacustrine wetland. 
• The area has at least 9 mammal, 154 bird (migratory and local), 35 fish, 9 arthropod, 11 rotifer, 9 crustacean and 10 protozoan species, making it biologically diverse.
• located in the Shivalik foothills of the LowerHimalayas and was created in 1952 on the Sutlej River, in the Punjab state of India, by building a head regulator to store and divert water for beneficial uses of irrigation, drinking and industrial water supply. 
• The endangered turtle Chitra indica and the threatened snake Python molurus ("at lower risk"), as per IUCN Redlist, are reported to be resident in the wetland. 
• The Museum depicts a sequence of six cultural periods or phases, with some breaks
• from Harappan times to the present day, found in the 21 metre high ancient mound known as Nalagarh Tibbi overlaying the Shiwalik (also spelt Sivalik) deposition on the left bank of the Satluj River where it emerges into the plains. 
• A deep well with a stone inscription of Emperor Shah Jahan (A.D. 1627-1658) has been located at the foot of the mound. 
• excavations have established that advanced civilization similar to
• the Harappa and Mohenjodaro Civilization prospered in Ropar town, an integral part of the wetland.
• The wetland area has also a modern history in respect of Anglo - Sikh relations.

Rajasthan 

1. Keoladeo National Park- 

•  a man-made and man-managed wetland and one of the national parks of India. 
•  a famous avifauna sanctuary that plays host to thousands of birds especially during the winter season. 
• It is also a major tourist centre with scores of ornithologists arriving here in the hibernal season. 
• It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. 
•  It is also a declared World Heritage Site.
• The reserve protects Bharatpur from frequent floods, provides grazing grounds for village cattle and earlier was primarily used as a waterfowl hunting ground. 
• locally known as Ghana, and is a mosaic of dry grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps, and wetlands. 
• Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering breeding etc. 
• The Sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world. 
• It is known for nesting of its resident birds and visiting migratory birds including water birds. 
• The rare Siberian cranes used to winter in this park 
•  Keoladeo Sanctuary is the world’s best bird area. 
•  Painted stork at Keoladeo National Park. 
• The Wetland is a part of the Indo-Gangetic Great Plains. 
• A semi-arid biotype, the park is the only area with significant vegetation
• The principal vegetation types are tropical dry deciduous forest, intermixed with dry grassland is areas where forest has been degraded. 
• Forests, mostly in the north-east of the park, are dominated by kalam or kadam, jamun and babul. 

2. Sambhar Salt Lake- 

• India's largest inland salt lake
• The Indian epic Mahabharata mentions the Sambhar lake as part of the kingdom of the demon king Brishparva, as the place where his priest Sukracharya lived
• A temple dedicated to Devayani can be seen near the lake. 
• It is not part of Ganga river basin area and geographically a separate land locked river basin.
• The lake is actually an extensive saline wetland
• It is located in Nagaur and Jaipur districts of Rajasthan and it also borders the Ajmer district surrounded on all sides by the Aravali hills.
• 5.1 km long dam made of sand stone. 
• Sambhar has been designated as a Ramsar site (recognized wetland of international importance) because the wetland is a key wintering area for tens of thousands of flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia. 

 Odisha 

1. Chilika Lake- 

• A brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India. 
• Largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world. 
• Largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. 
•  The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. 
• The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources. 
• It sustains more than 150,000 fisher–folk living in 132 villages on the shore and islands. 
• The lagoon hosts over 160 species of birds in the peak migratory season. 
• Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here. 
•  In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• Microalgae, marine seaweeds, sea grasses, fishes and crabs also flourish in the brackish water of the Chilika Lagoon. 
• The lake is of estuarine character in an ephemeral environment. 
• The six major islands are Parikud, Phulbari, Berahpura, Nuapara, Nalbana, and Tampara. 
• The width of the old channel to the sea, now reported to be about 100 m (328.1 ft), is known as Magarmukha (Mouth of the Crocodile). 
• The important rivers of this drainage system are the Kansari, the Kusumi, the Janjira and the Tarimi rivers. 
• On the north east a channel connects the lake to the Bay of Bengal.
• Lake water is alkaline. 
• By 1993, the problems in Chilika were so severe that the lake was put under "The Montreux Record" as the lake was considered to have ―undergone, to be undergoing, or to be likely to undergo change in its ecological character brought about by human action. 
• The purpose was to stimulate remedial measures for the lake's conservation, supplemented with adequate monitoring. 
• The ecological richness of the lake is of great value in preserving the genetic diversity because of the multiplicity of its habitat, flora and fauna. 
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) surveyed the lake between 1985 and 1988 and identified 800 species of fauna, including many rare, endangered, threatened and vulnerable species, but excluding terrestrial insects.
• The rare and threatened animal species identified are green sea turtle (EN), dugong (VU), Irrawaddy dolphin (VU),blackbuck (NT), Spoon billed sandpiper (CR), limbless skink and fishing cat (EN). 
• 24 mammalian species were reported. 37 species of reptiles and amphibians are also reported.
• Chilika Lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds, on the Indian sub-continent. 
• It is one of the hotspots of biodiversity in the country. 
• Some species listed in the IUCN Red List of threatened animals inhabit the lake for at least part of their life cycle. 
• Migratory water fowl arrive here from as far as the Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake and remote parts of Russia, Mongolia, Lakah, Siberia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and from the Himalayas.
• A census conducted in the winter of 1997-98 recorded about 2 million birds in the lake.

Nalbana Bird Sanctuary- 

• Nalbana Island is the core area of the Ramsar designated wetlands of Chilika Lake. 
• Nalbana was notified in 1987 and declared a bird sanctuary in 1973 under the Wildlife Protection Act. 
• Large flocks of greater flamingos from Iran and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, feed in the shallow waters of the lake. 
• long legged waders seen around Nalbana Island are the lesser flamingos, Goliath heron, grey herons, purple herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks and black-headed ibis.
• Rare birds reported in the lake are Asiatic dowitchers (NT), Dalmatian pelican(VU), Pallas's fisheagles (VU), the very rare migrant spoon-billed sandpiper(CR) and spot-billed pelican (NT).
• The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is the flagship species of Chilika lake. 
• Chilka is home to the only known population of Irrawaddy dolphins in India and one of only two lagoons in the world that are home to this species.
• It is classified as critically endangered, in five of the six other places it is known to live.
• Chilka Lake is one of the best bird watching spots in India, and is also popular for fishing and angling.

2. Bhitarkanika Mangroves- 

• The Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which bounds the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary to the east, was created in September 1997, and encompasses Gahirmatha Beach and an adjacent portion of the Bay of Bengal. 
• Bhitarkanika Mangroves were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2002. 
• The mangroves harbor one of India's largest populations of saltwater crocodiles, and Gahirmatha Beach, which separates the mangroves from the Bay of Bengal, is the world's most important nesting beach for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. 
• In 2006 the Park was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest white crocodile living in captivity also measuring 23 feet. 
• Rhesus monkey, leopard cat, fishing cat, jungle cat, small Indian civet cat, toddy cat, common mongoose, jackal, striped hyena, Indian fox, wild pig, Indian porcupine, mole rat, long tailed tree mouse, spotted deer, sambar, common otter, smooth Indian otter are also found here. 
• Olive Ridley Turtles Gahirmatha coast in Kendrapara district is the world’s largest nesting beach for olive Ridley turtles is packed with pleasure for tourists. 
• Declared a wild life sanctuary in Odisha in 1979 and a world heritage site, Gahirmatha is significant for turtle conservation. 
• The breathtaking view of the sanctuary, located on the converging point of the Dhamra River and Bay of Bengal attracts nature loving tourists. 
• One will find flaura like Bels, terminenalia, Zizphus Bija, Salaia Sal, Babul, Teak, Bamboo and many other varieties in the sanctuary. 
• Although the sanctuary is famous for the giant olive Ridleys which travel from as far as the Pacific ocean to nest her, it also hosts the wild boars, barking deers, bears, leopards, crocodiles, jungle fowls, hyenas, wild dogs, four horned antelopes, sloth bears and blue bulls. 

Andhra Pradesh

Kolleru Lake-

• One of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in state of Andhra Pradesh 20 kilometers away from the city of Eluru. 
• located between Krishna and Godavari delta. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and West Godavari. 
• Serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for these two rivers. 
• fed directly by water from the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru streams, and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari systems by over 68 in-flowing drains and channels.
• this lake is a major tourist attraction. 
• Many birds migrate here in winter, such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks. 
• The lake was an important habitat resident and migratory birds, including the grey or spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis). 
• The lake was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wildlife
• Protection Act of 1972, and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention. 
• Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts migratory birds from northern Asia and Eastern Europe. 
•  The resident birds include grey pelicans, Asian open-billed storks , painted storks, glossy ibises, white ibises,teals, pintails and shovellers. 
• The migratory birds include red-crested pochards, blackwinged stilts, avocets, common red shanks, wigeons, gadwalls and cormorants, garganeys, herons and flamingos.

Assam

Deepor Beel- 

• Deepor Beel is located to the south-west of Guwahati city, in Kamrup district of Assam, India
• A permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the main river. 
• also called a wetland under the Ramsar Convention which has listed the lake in November 2002, as a Ramsar Site for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental importance.
• Considered as one of the largest Beels in the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam, it is
• categorised as representative of the wetland type under the Burma Monsoon Forest
• biogeographic region.
• It is claimed that Beel was an important dockyard of the Tai-Ahom as well as the Mughals. 
• The Basistha and Kalmani rivers and local monsoon run-off are the main sources of water to the lake, between May and September. 
• Khonajan channel drains the beel into the Brahmaputra river. 
• has been declared as ―Deepor Beel Sanctuary by the Government of Assam.
• Some of the globally threatened species of birds like Spotbilled Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Baer’s Pochard, Pallas' Sea Eagle, Greater Adjutant Stork. 
• Among the large number of migratory water fowl, the Siberian crane regularly migrates to this habitat during its annual journey. 
• Considering the richness of the bird varieties found in the beel, the Birdlife International has declared Deepor Beel as an Important Bird Area (IBA) with high priority for conservation.
• Wild Asian Elephants, Leopard, Jungle Cat and the protected Barking
• Deer, Chinese Porcupine andSambar are found in the beel. 
• Herds of elephants are reported in the beel.
• Over 120 species of birds have been listed in the sanctuary, which includes Kingfishers,
• Fishing eagles, Adjutant storks and abundant varieties of ducks.
• A watch tower has been erected on the bank of the beel for bird watching and security purpose.

Gujarat

Nal sarovar Bird Sanctuary-

• largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. 
• consisting primarily of a huge lake and ambient marshes, is situated about 64 km to the West of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village, in the Gujarat state of India. 
• Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India.
• Thousands of migratory waterfowl flock to this sanctuary just after the Indian monsoon season.
• Besides a few mammalian species including the endangered wild ass and the black buck, its
• migratory bird population includes rosy pelicans, flamingoes, white storks, brahminy
• ducks and herons.
• Winter migrants from the north including purple moorhen, pelicans, lesser and greater flamingos, white storks, four species of bitterns, crakes, grebes, brahminy ducks and herons visit Nal Sarovar.

Manipur  (very Imp)

Loktak Lake- 

•  the largest freshwater lake in North -East India is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matters at various stages of decomposition) floating over it. 
•  Keibul Lamjao the only floating national park in the world floats over it.
• located near Moirang in Manipur state, India. 
• The Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai or Manipur brow-antlered deer, one of three subspecies of Eld's deer.
• This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. 
• Considering the ecological status and its biodiversity values, the lake was initially designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on 23 March 1990.
• It was also listed under the Montreux Record on 16 June 1993, "a record of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur"
• Of the two river systems which drain the Manipur state—the Barak river and the Manipur
• River—the Manipur River flows through the Manipur Valley. 
• Phumdis in the Lake – circular ones, called athapums, are artificially created for fishing. 
• The list includes rare animals such as the Indian python, sambhar and barking deer. 
• Keibul Lamjao National Park is the natural habitat of one of the most endangered deer, the brow antlered deer which was once thought to be extinct
• With the phumdis becoming thinner, the hoofs of the limbs of sangai get stuck in the marsh and results in their drowning. 
• Production of the edible fruit and rhizome of lotus plants has decreased to a great extent. Plants have also degraded due to polluted water.
• Today, Loktak Lake is at the highest level of eutrophication and the only brow-antlered deer is at the verge of extinction. 

Madhya Pradesh 

Bhoj Wetland- 

• consists of two lakes located in the city of Bhopal, the capital of the
• central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. 
• The two lakes are the Bhojtal and the Lower Lake, which lie to the west of the city center. 
• drains a catchment or watershed of 361 km². 
• The Bhojtal was created by Paramara Raja Bhoj (1005-1055), ruler of Malwa.
• The lake was created by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River.

 Tamil Nadu

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary- 

•  A low headland on the Coromandel Coast, in the Nagapattinamdistrict of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. the apex of the Cauvery River delta, and marks a nearly right-angle turn in the coastline. 
• A historic landmark here was the Chola lighthouse, destroyed in the tsunami of 2004. 
• The forests of Point Calimere, also known the Vedaranyam forests, are one of the last remnants of the dry evergreen forests that were once typical of the East Deccan dry  evergreen forests eco region. 
• The sanctuary includes the cape and its three natural habitat types: dry evergreen
• forests,mangrove forests, and wetlands. 
• In 1988, the sanctuary was enlarged to include the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and the
• Talaignayar Reserve Forest, and renamed the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary. 
• Point Calimere is home to the endangered endemic Indian blackbuck and is one of the few known wintering locations of the spoon-billed sandpiper.
• It also holds large wintering populations of greater flamingos in India. 
• The area is dotted with salt pans and these hold large crustacean populations that support the wintering bird life. 

Cultural Heritage: Several sites of religious, historical or cultural importance are located within the sanctuary:

• Ramar Padam-Sri Ram’s Pado Chinna
• Navakodi Sitthar Aalayam is a temple in south of the Kodiakkarai village. 
• the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Parvathy 
• Chola Emperor and Mannar Sarafoji were visited this temple. 
•  Modi Mandapam is a shrine located near Ramar Padam where people of all castes worship. 
• Avulaiganni Dargah is the grave of a Muslim saint located near the road by Ramar Padam.

Tripura

Rudrasagar Lake

• also known as Rudijala, is a lake located in Melaghar, Tripura, India. 
• The Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forest has identified Rudrasagar as one of the wetlands of National Importance for conservation and sustainable use based on its biodiversity and socio economic importance.
• Secretary General, convention on wetlands, Ramsar site has declared Rudrasagar Lake as wetland of international importance and it has been included in the list of wetlands of International Importance. 
• A palace known as Neermahal (Water Palace) is situated near the north-east bank of the lake. 
• It constructed by the then Tripura king Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur in between 1935–1938 as summer resort.

Uttar Pradesh

Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch)-  

• A shallow river stretch of the great Ganges with intermittent small stretches of deep-water pools and reservoirs upstream from barrages. 
• The river provides habitat for IUCN Red listed Ganges River Dolphin, Gharial, Crocodile, 6 species of turtles, otters, 82 species of fish and more than hundred species of birds. 
• Major plant species, some of which have high medicinal values, include Dalbergia sissoo, Saraca indica, Eucalyptus globulus, Ficus bengalensis, Dendrocalamus strictus, Tectona grandis, Azadirachta indica and aquatic Eichhorina. 
• This river stretch has high Hindu religious importance for thousands of pilgrims and is used for cremation and holy baths for spiritual purification. 
• Major threats are sewage discharge, agricultural runoff, and intensive fishing. 
• Conservation activities carried out are plantation to prevent bank erosion, training on organic farming, and lobbying to ban commercial fishing. 

West Bengal

East Kolkata Wetlands- 

• also known as the East Kolkata Wetlands are a complex of natural and human
• made wetlands lying east of the city of Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal in India. 
• designated a "wetland of international importance" under the Ramsar Convention on August 19, 2002. 
• Numerous species of fish are farmed in the sewage fed ponds called bheris in the East Kolkata wetlands. These include silver carp, tilapia, 
• a mammalian species, called Salt Lake Marsh Mongoose. 
• Microbial Diversity is an integral part of biodiversity which includes bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, protozoa and protists. 

International Organization Partners (IOPs) 

• Birdlife International. International Union for Conservation
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• Wetlands International. WWF International. 
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)