HYDERABAD: On World Wetlands Day 2026, lake activists and environmental experts renewed calls for Telangana to declare its first Ramsar wetland, pointing out that the state remains outside India’s Ramsar network despite having thousands of lakes and tanks and an institutional framework for wetland protection.
India currently has 98 Ramsar wetlands, but Telangana has not notified a single site under the international convention. According to the National Wetland Inventory, the state has over 13,000 wetlands spread across nearly five lakh hectares, including major irrigation reservoirs, urban lakes and rural tanks.
The Telangana State Wetland Authority (TGSWA) was constituted in 2018 under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules to identify and protect wetlands.
However, activists say progress has been limited. “In 2024, five wetlands were shortlisted and discussed in a State Wetland Authority meeting, but since then, there has been no clarity on the outcome or whether any proposal was formally moved forward,” said Madhulika Choudhary, lake activist.
She said the lack of regular authority meetings and public updates has slowed the process. “There is zero information in the public domain on what happened after the surveys. Either additional parameters are being considered or the process has stalled,” she said.
Experts pointed to rapid and unplanned urbanisation as a major threat to wetlands, particularly around Hyderabad. “Flooding is more visible in highly urbanised areas where natural drainage and lakes have been disrupted. Wetlands themselves are not the cause of floods; their destruction is,” Choudhary said, adding that outer areas of Hyderabad continue to show better groundwater recharge due to intact lake systems.
Environmentalists also stressed the role of wetlands in climate resilience. “Wetlands help regulate temperature, recharge groundwater and support biodiversity. Rising heat levels even during winter months show how urgently we need to protect water bodies,” said Donthi Narasimha Reddy, another environmentalist.
A senior forest department official told TNIE, “Work toward Ramsar notification is underway but involves strict criteria. Two wetland proposals were earlier submitted to the Centre, but Ramsar designation requires detailed ecological assessments. Ramsar sites must meet multiple parameters, including migratory bird habitat and ecological integrity. We are currently working on proposals, and once the first site is completed, the process for others will become easier,” the official said.
Activists said Ramsar recognition would ensure stronger protection, curb pollution and encroachment, and improve monitoring, while also boosting eco-tourism, livelihoods and conservation beyond urban areas.
Experts identified Manjeera Wildlife Sanctuary in Sangareddy, Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary in Warangal, Kinnerasani Lake in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary in Medak and Ramappa Lake in Mulugu as potential Ramsar candidates, though officials cautioned that stressed urban reservoirs may not meet Ramsar norms.