BENGALURU : The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), on Wednesday announced three sites in Karnataka - Magadi Lake Conservation Reserve, Agnashani Estuary and River and Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve - as Ramsar sites.
The announcement comes two days ahead of World Wetlands Day, along with Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest in Tamil Nadu. With this, India now has 80 sites, and Karnataka has four. Ranghattitu Bird Sanctuary was the first to recieve this status in 2022.
Ramsar sites, form a part of an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biodiversity for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and services. Once a site is declared as a Ramsar site, they get international recognition for eco-tourism protection.
Explaining the importance, officials in the environment and forest department told TNIE, “It was a long pending due that has come now. The first proposal was made for Magadi lake, in 2005, where 20 percent of the world’s Mangolian Bar Headed Geese migrate to. Later Ankasamudra and Agnashini were added.”
It may be noted that these water bodies are not a part of any traditional forest patches. They are community reserves and locals have been working to protect the water bodies and the species visiting them.
The official added that these sites cannot be protected in isolation. There is a need to also protect other water bodies that support the bird species. Citing the example of Ankasaumdra, the official said, “The migratory birds visit Tungabhadra for breeding. Ankasamudra is the backwaters of Tungabhadra river. Agnashini declaration was a challenge as the region was once proposed to be used for Tadadi port expansion. Now the tourism department is working on making it a eco-tourism destination. We are now proposing to declare Boonal Lake in Kalaburgi, Ghataprabha Bird Sanctuary and Almatti backwaters as Ramsar sites along with the marshes in Mangaluru. We are advising locals not to change the land use and cropping pattern which will affect the bird species,” the official added.
Magadi
Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve spread across 50 HA, and 30kms from Gadag is accorded with the status of an Important Bird Area and is listed as a priority area for conservation in India. It is home to over 166 species of birds, including 35 residential species. The primary land-use activities include grazing, fishing and farming.
Aghanashini
Aghanashini River originates in the Western Ghats and flows westwards for 117 km before joining the Arabian Sea in Kumta taluk. The brackish water ecosystem of the Estuary extends to 48 sqkms. The site has 84 species of fish, five species of bivalves, and 45 species of mangroves and mangrove-associated species. It also supports 117 bird species. The Estuary supports livelihood activities including fishing, agriculture, collection of edible bivalves and crabs, shrimp aquaculture, traditional fish farming in the estuarine rice fields (locally known as gazni rice fields) bivalve shell mining, and salt production.
Ankasamudra
Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, located in Hagaribommanahalli Taluk of Vijayanagara District, is 40kms from Hampi. It is an ecologically important man-made wetland, rich in biodiversity, comprising about 210 species of plants, 8 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 240 species of birds, 41 species of fishes, 3 species of frogs, 27 species of butterflies and 32 species of Odonata.