Parliament Question: Conservation of Wetlands in Himachal Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2688 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026 Conservation of Wetlands in Himachal Pradesh 2688. SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) the details of wetlands in Himachal Pradesh designated as Ramsar Sites along with year of notification and area covered; (b) the number and names of important non-Ramsar wetlands in the State that have been identified by the Government for potential inclusion under the Ramsar Convention and the criteria being used for such prioritisation; (c) the conservation, monitoring, funding and community-participation measures presently being implemented for Ramsar wetlands such as Pong Dam Lake and Renuka Wetland; (d) whether recent avifaunal surveys at these wetlands have reported sightings of rare migratory birds including the Song Thrush and other uncommon thrush, waterfowl or wader species; and (e) the details of the steps proposed to strengthen long-term habitat protection, scientific research and climate-resilience planning for wetlands across the State with dedicated budgetary allocations and proposed inter-agency coordination mechanisms? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) Three wetlands in Himachal Pradesh have been designated as Ramsar sites, the details of which are as follows: S. Name of wetland Year of Area covered No. designation (in ha) 1 Pong Dam Lake 2002 15662 2 Renuka Wetland 2005 20 3 Chandertal Wetland 2005 49 Page 1 of 2(b) The State Government of Himachal Pradesh has identified six wetlands namely Rewalsar, Prashar, Khajjiar, Manimahesh, Brighu and Nako for potential inclusion under the Ramsar Convention. These wetlands have been identified based on the nine criteria for Ramsar sites including ecological uniqueness, biodiversity richness, waterbird congregation, rare species habitat and hydrological significance. (c) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is currently implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely, the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco- systems (NPCA) for conservation and management of wetlands including Ramsar sites in the country including Himachal Pradesh, on a cost sharing basis between Central Government and respective State Governments. The scheme covers various activities such as interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater, shoreline protection, lakefront development, in-situ cleaning i.e. desilting and de-weeding, stormwater management, bioremediation, catchment area treatment, lake beautification, survey and demarcation, bio-fencing, fisheries development, weed control, biodiversity conservation and community participation. Under the scheme of NPCA, financial assistance of Rs. 3.14 crore for Pong Dam and Rs. 2.59 crore for Renuka Wetland has been released so far as Central share to the Government of Himachal Pradesh. Community Participation is ensured through orientation and training workshops of District Level Wetland Committees (DWCs), fishermen training programmes and awareness events such as celebration of World Wetlands Day involving students and teachers across the State. (d) As informed by the Government of Himachal Pradesh, an annual bird census or avifaunal survey is conducted every year during the winter season in Pong Dam Lake. As per the latest survey, sighting of some migratory species including the Song Thrush and the uncommon thrush have been reported in this lake. (e) The State Government of Himachal Pradesh has informed that five-year Integrated Management Plans (IMPs) for the three Ramsar sites, and one year Framework Management Plans (FMPs) for Rewalsar and Dal Wetland have been formulated to strengthen long-term habitat protection, scientific research and climate-resilience planning. Orientation/training workshops for DWCs have been organized across districts focusing on multi-departmental approach towards wetland conservation and management at district level. Further, MoEF&CC, through its National Wetlands Committee, advises on appropriate policies and action programmes for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Vide the Wetlands (Conservation and management) Rules, 2017, the State/UT Wetlands Authorities have also been constituted. ****** Page 2 of 2