CHENNAI: In little over a week, TN has managed to increase its tally of Ramsar sites from one to 10 and has climbed to the top spot in India alongside Uttar Pradesh. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday evening announced that 10 more Indian wetlands received Ramsar recognition as wetlands of international importance. Six of them are from TN.
Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli; Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve in Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram; Vembannur Wetland Complex in Kanniyakumari; Vellode Bird Sanctuary in Erode; Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Chengalpattu; and Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary in Tiruvarur are the new sites.
Additional Chief Secretary to Environment Department Supriya Sahu told TNIE that India was aiming for Ramsar tag for 75 of its wetlands on the 75th year of Independence. “TN will be playing a major role to achieve the target. Our meticulous paperwork and on-the-ground conservation work has helped get Ramsar tag for nine wetlands after a gap of 20 years. Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary was the first to get Ramsar tag in 2002.”
The Ramsar list aims at “developing and maintaining an international network of wetlands, which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life, through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits ... Designation of these sites would help in conservation and management of wetlands and wise use of their resources. Now, India stands at first position jointly with China,” the ministry said in a statement.
Deepak Srivastava, member secretary of TN Wetland Mission, said: “Four more proposals are pending with the Ramsar Secretariat.” Jayashree Venkatesan from Care Earth Trust, which had prepared crucial paperwork for four of the six new Ramsar sites, said TN has many more wetlands that qualify for Ramsar recognition.
On the development, Chief Minister MK Stalin said: “This takes the Ramsar recognition tally of TN to ten. This international recognition is a matter of great pride and goes hand in hand with TN Wetland Mission. I congratulate TN Forest Department on this sterling achievement.”