Ramsar Site
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Description
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Andhra Pradesh (1)
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Kolleru Lake
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- It is a naturally eutrophic (nutrient-rich) lake between the Godavari and the Krishna river basins. It was previously a lagoon, but now it is several kilometres inland due to the coastline of emergence and delta formation. Two seasonal rivers directly feed it.
- It sustains both culture and capture fisheries, agriculture and related occupations.
- Threats: paddy cultivation, overexploitation, flooding in monsoon season, etc.
- Endangered Avifauna: Grey Pelican or Spot-Billed Pelican (VU)
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Assam (1)
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Deepor Beel
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Bihar (1)
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Kanwar Taal or Kabar Taal Lake |
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Goa (1)
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Nanda Lake |
- It is an intermittent freshwater marsh adjacent to one of the tributaries of the Zuari River.
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Gujarat (4)
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Khijadia WLS |
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Nalsarovar BS |
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Thol Lake |
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Wadhvana Wetland |
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Haryana (2)
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Bhindawas WLS |
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Sultanpur NP |
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Himachal Pradesh (3)
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Chandra Taal |
- It is a high-altitude lake near Kunzum Pass on the upper Chandra River valley. Chandra and Bhaga rivers merge to form the Chenab River in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh.
- Threats: overgrazing by the nomadic herdsmen.
- Major Fauna: Snow Leopard (VU), Himalayan Ibex (NT), Blue Sheep (Bharal – LC)
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Pong Dam Lake |
- It is a reservoir on the Beas River. It is also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar.
- It lies on the Trans-Himalayan Flyway for migratory Waterfowls
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Renuka Lake |
- It is a natural wetland with freshwater springs and inland subterranean karst formations.
- The lake is named after the mother of Hindu sage Parshuram.
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Karnataka (1)
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Ranganathituu BS (IBA) |
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Kerala (3)
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Ashtamudi Wetland |
- It is a natural backwater in the Kollam district. National Waterway 3 passes through it.
- It is the second-largest estuarine ecosystem in Kerala. It forms an estuary with the sea at Neendakara (a famous fishing harbour in Kerala). River Kallada and Pallichal drain into it.
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Sasthamkotta Lake |
- It is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala. River Kallada had a unique replenishing system through a bar of paddy fields. The replenishing mechanism is now being destroyed.
- The water contains no common salts and supports no water plants. A larva called cavaborus eliminates bacteria in the water, thus contributing to its exceptional purity.
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Vembanad-Kol Wetland |
- It is the largest brackish lake of Kerala, spanning across Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. It is the second-largest Ramsar Site in India after Sundarbans. It is also the longest lake in India.
- It is below sea level and is famous for paddy fields that are below sea level.
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Madhya Pradesh (4)
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Bhoj Wetland |
- It is a human-made reservoir that consists of two lakes located in the city of Bhopal.
- Major Avifauna: Sarus crane (VU)
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Sakhya Sagar |
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Sirpur wetland |
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Yashwant Sagar |
- It is designated as an IBA in the Indore region (Malwa region).
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Maharashtra (3)
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Lonar Lake |
- It is an endorheic (closed basin) crater lake formed by a meteorite impact.
- It is high in salinity and alkalinity due to the lack of an outflow.
- Specialized micro-organisms such as anaerobes, cyanobacteria and phytoplankton survive in this harsh chemical environment. Recently, the colour of Lonar lake water had turned pink due to a large presence of the salt-loving haloarchaea microbes.
- Haloarchaea or halophilic archaea is a bacteria culture that produces pink pigment and is found in water saturated with salt.
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Nandur Madhameshwar |
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Thane Creek
(Flamingo
Sanctuary and IBA) |
- It is one of the largest creeks of Asia. It is fringed by mangroves on both banks.
- It falls under the Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW) but is fed by numerous freshwater sources, making the water brackish. Ulhas River is the largest source of freshwater.
- The MEOW biogeographic classification system divides the coastal, nearshore, and shelf areas of the world into ecoregions. Each ecoregion is ecologically distinct from the others.
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Manipur (1)
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Loktak Lake |
- It is the largest freshwater lake in the north-eastern region.
- Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world, floats over it.
- Thick, floating mats of weeds covered with soil (phumids) are a characteristic feature.
- It is included on the Montreux Record in 1993 as a result of ecological problems such as deforestation in the catchment area, infestation of water hyacinth, and pollution.
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Mizoram (1)
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Pala Wetland |
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Odisha (6)
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Ansupa Lake |
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Bhitarkanika Mangroves |
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Chilika Lake |
- In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Nalbana BS is the core area of Chilika Lake.
- It is located at the mouth of the Daya River. It is a brackish water lagoon separated from the Bay of Bengal by a long sandy ridge. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India.
- Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Central Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here.
- The Irrawaddy dolphin (EN) is the flagship species of the lake. Chilka has the only population of Irrawaddy dolphins in India.
- It was placed on the Montreux Record in 1993 due to siltation and removed from the Record in 2002 following rehabilitation efforts of the Chilika Development Authority.
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Hirakud
Reservoir |
- Hirakud Reservoir is the largest earthen dam in Odisha.
- It provides important hydrological services by moderating floods in the Mahanadi delta.
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Satkosia Gorge |
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Tampara Lake |
- The use of explosives during a battle in the Ganjam district between the British East India Company and French colonists in 1766 created this large depression.
- The lake is now connected to the Rushikulya river and helps in flood control.
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Punjab (6)
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Beas CnR |
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Harike Wetland |
- It is a shallow water reservoir at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
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Kanjli Wetland |
- It is associated with the first guru of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Nanak.
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Keshopur-Miani CmR |
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Nangal WLS |
- It occupies a human-made reservoir of Bhakra-Nangal Project in the Shiwalik foothills.
- The site is of historical importance as the Indian and Chinese Prime Ministers formalized the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” there in 1954.
- Endangered Species: Indian Pangolin (EN), Leopard (VU), Egyptian Vulture (EN)
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Ropar Wetland |
- It is formed by the construction of a barrage for diversion of water from the Sutlej River.
- Major Fauna: Smooth Indian Otter, Hog Deer, Sambar, Indian Pangolin
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Rajasthan (2)
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Keoladeo National Park |
- It is a complex of ten artificial seasonal marshes. Vegetation is scrub and open grassland.
- The invasive growth of the grass Paspalum distichum has reduced its suitability for certain waterbird species, notably the Siberian Crane (CR).
- Placed on the Montreux Record in 1990 due to water shortage and an unbalanced grazing.
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Sambhar Lake |
- It is India’s largest inland saltwater lake. It is a key wintering area for Flamingos (LC).
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Tamil Nadu (14)
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Chitrangudi BS |
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Gulf of Mannar Marine BR |
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Kanjirankulam BS |
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Karikili BS |
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Koonthankulam BS (IBA) |
- It is a human-made wetland maintained by the local community.
- It is designated as IBA.
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Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest |
- It is one of the few natural coastal aquatic habitats.
- The marshland is located along the Coromandel Coast south of the Adyar Estuary, serving as an aquatic buffer of the flood-prone Chennai.
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Pichavaram Mangrove |
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Point Calimere WLS & BS |
- It is one of the last remnants of dry evergreen forests.
- Major Avifauna: Spoon-Billed Sandpiper (CR), Grey Pelican or Spot-Billed Pelican (VU)
- Threats: Prosopis chilensis (Chilean mesquite – known as “the devil with roots”).
- Prosopis juliflora and Prosopis chilensis are the most invasive mesquit species (plants in genus Prosopis). They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under ground.
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Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex |
- It is declared an IBA.
- It lies at the southern tip of the Central Asian flyway of migratory birds.
- It is a man-made, inland Tank and is perennial.
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Udhayamarthandapuram BS |
- It stores floodwaters during monsoon overflows and maintains surface water flow during drier periods.
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Vaduvur BS |
- It is a large human-made irrigation tank and shelter for migratory birds.
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Vedanthangal BS (IBA) |
- This freshwater wetland is a people-protected water bird area. People have been benefited by the manure-rich guano water from the lake that increases the agriculture yield multifold.
- Guano is excretory waste of birds rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous.
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Vellode BS |
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Vembannur Wetland
Complex |
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Tripura (1)
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Rudrasagar Lake |
- It is a reservoir fed by three perennial streams discharging to the River Gomti.
- It is an ideal habitat for Three-Striped Roof Turtle (CR).
- It is a buzzing tourist destination during the festival of Vijaya Dashami.
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UT of JK (5)
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Hokera Wetland |
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Hygam Wetland CnR (IBA) |
- It lies downstream of Wular Lake in the Baramulla district.
- Threats: high rate of siltation.
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Shallbugh Wetland CnR |
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Surinsar-Mansar Lakes |
- It is a freshwater composite lake in semi-arid Panjab Plains, adjoining the Jhelum Basin.
- It has many temples around owing to its mythical origin from the Mahabharata period.
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Wular Lake
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- It is the largest freshwater lake in India. It is fed by Jhelum River in the Kashmir Valley.
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UT of Ladakh (2)
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Tso Kar
(IBA) |
- It is a high-altitude wetland complex consisting of two waterbodies:
- Tso Kar (4,500 m above sea level) itself, a hypersaline lake to the north, &
- Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake to the south.
- It is called Tso Kar, meaning white lake, because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water.
- It is the most important breeding area of the Black-Necked Cranes (NT) in India.
- Endangered Species: Saker Falcon (EN), Asiatic Wild Dog (Dhole – EN), Snow Leopard (VU)
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Tsomoriri |
- It is a freshwater to brackish lake lying at 4,595 m above sea level. With no outflow, evaporation in the arid steppe conditions causes varying levels of salinity.
- The 400-year-old Korzok monastery near the lake attracts many tourists. The barley fields at Korzok have been described as the highest cultivated land in the world.
- Tsomoriri is the only breeding ground outside of China for Black-Necked Cranes (NT) and the only breeding ground for Bar-Headed Geese (LC) in India.
- Great Tibetan Sheep (Argali – NT) and Tibetan Wild Ass (Kiang – LC) are endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, of which the Changthang Plateau of India is the westernmost part.
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Uttar Pradesh (10)
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Bakhira WLS |
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Haiderpur Wetland |
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Nawabganj BS |
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Parvati Arga BS |
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Saman BS |
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Samaspur BS |
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Sandi BS |
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Sarsai Nawar Jheel
(IBA) |
- It is a marsh. Its name is derived from the large non-migratory Sarus Crane (VU).
- The nearby Hajari Mahadev temple is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year.
- Endangered Avifauna: White-Rumped Vulture (CR)
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Sur Sarovar
(Keetham Lake) |
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Upper Ganga River |
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Uttarakhand (1)
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Asan Barrage
(Asan CnR) |
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West Bengal (2)
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East Kolkata
Wetlands |
- It is a multiple use wetland that serves the city of Kolkata. It feeds one of the world’s largest wastewater fed aquaculture.
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Sundarban
Wetland
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Please update all your materials sir/maam.
As of 25th dec 2020, there are 42 Ramsar sites in india
Updated
Please update there are now 46 ramsar sites in india
Worst maps. totally unclear and very vague. either put a political map and mention wetlands or put a river map with wetlands. cant able to find the state border properly and too many rivers and wetland names.
please change the map.
Nice work pmfIAS….nice + clear maps with good detail.
Very comprehensive and easy to understand along with rivers
great work!! much needed!
Lok tak lake area is much more of aulad,both are fresh water lake,then how wular is biggest fresh water lake in india,as you mention,plz tell.
Please update the site list.
Pls update the 75 sites asap.Thanks
update all 75 sites please!!!!
List is getting biggerr every year! :O