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OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 05
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2026
Notification of Ramsar Sites
*5. SMT. SANJNA JATAV:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the total number of Ramsar sites currently notified in the country, State and Union Territory-
wise, including district-wise for Rajasthan;
(b) the details of the new sites included in the Ramsar List during the last three years, year-wise
along with the name, locations and key reasons for the selection of these sites;
(c) whether the Government has formulated any action plan to designate other wetlands in the
country as Ramsar sites, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the details regarding the names, area, ecological significance and role in biodiversity
conservation of the Ramsar sites located in the Bharatpur region?
ANSWER
MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)
(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 5 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, THE 20.07.2026 ON
‘NOTIFICATION OF RAMSAR SITES’ RAISED BY SMT. SANJNA JATAV.
(a) & (b) A total of 100 Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance) have been designated
(notified) in the country, till date. These include 25 Ramsar sites designated during 2023 to 2026 till
date. The State and Union Territory (UT)-wise and year-wise list of Ramsar sites including district-
wise for Rajasthan is given in the Annexure-A. The key reason for inclusion of these sites is
fulfillment of atleast one of the nine criteria of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Annexure-B).
(c) MoEF&CC has been advising all the States/UTs from time to time for identifying the
potential wetlands to designate as Ramsar sites. The proposals received from the States/UTs are
submitted to Ramsar Convention with all the requisite information for their designation as Ramsar
sites. Currently, proposals of four new wetlands namely, Glaw Lake (Arunachal Pradesh), Sukhna
Wetland (Chandigarh), Gosabara-Mokarsagar Wetland Complex (Gujarat) and Sauj Jheel (Uttar
Pradesh) have recently been submitted to the Ramsar Secretariat for their designation as Ramsar
sites.
(d) Keoladeo National Park (KNP), covering an area of 2873 ha located in Bharatpur, Rajasthan
was designated as Ramsar site on 01-10-1981. KNP provides major wintering ground for migratory
birds from Central Asia, including the elusive and endangered Siberian Crane. At least 15 bird
species nest at the site, forming an extensive heronry between July and September. Recent
assessments indicate the presence of atleast 375 species of angiosperms of which 90 species are
wetland species, 350 species of birds, 27 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 7 amphibians,
and 43 fishes. Macro-invertebrates too abound in the park. Several species found in KNP have high
international conservation value (including the globally endangered and vulnerable species of
greater adjutant, hog deer, common pochard, woolly necked stork, sarus crane, lesser adjutant,
greater spotted eagle, and smooth-coated otter).
*****Annexure-A
Annexure-A referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Starred Q. No. 5 to be
answered on Monday, the 20th July, 2026 on ‘Notification of Ramsar Sites’
RAMSAR SITES OF INDIA
State/UT Ramsar site Date of
Designation
1. Andhra Pradesh (1) 1. Kolleru Lake 19-08-2002
2. Assam (1) 2. Deepor Beel 19-08-2002
3. Bihar (6) 3. Kabartal Wetland 21-07-2020
4. Nagi Bird Sanctuary* 11-10-2023
5. Nakti bird Sanctuary* 11-10-2023
6. Gokul Jalashay* 13.05.2025
7. Udaipur Jheel* 13.05.2025
8. Gogabil Lake* 13.05.2025
4. Chhattisgarh (1) 9. Kopra Jalashay* 08.08.2025
5. Gujarat (5) 10. Nalsarovar 24-09-2012
11. Wadhvana Wetland 05-04-2021
12. Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary 05-04-2021
13. Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary 13-04-2021
14. Chhari Dhand* 16-06-2025
6. Goa (1) 15. Nanda Lake 08-06-2022
7. Haryana (2) 16. Sultanpur National Park 25-05-2021
17. Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary 25-05-2021
8. Himachal Pradesh 18. Pong Dam Lake 19-08-2002
(3) 19. Chandertal Wetland 08-11-2005
20. Renuka Wetland 08-11-2005
9. Jammu and Kashmir 21. Wular Lake 23-03-1990
(5) 22. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes 08-11-2005
23. Hokera Wetland 08-11-2005
24. Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve 08-06-2022
25. Shallbugh Wetland Conservation 08-06-2022
Reserve
10. Jharkhand (1) 26. Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary* 08-01-2024
11. Karnataka (4) 27. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary 15-02-2022
28. Ankasamudra Bird Conservation 10-03-2023
Reserve*
29. Aghanashini Estuary* 14-02-2023
30. Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve* 14-02-2023
12. Kerala (3) 31. Asthamudi Wetland 19-08-2002
32. Sasthamkotta Lake 19-08-2002
33. VembanadKol Wetland 19-08-2002
13. Ladakh (2) 34. Tso Kar Wetland Complex 17-11-2020
35. Tsomoriri Lake 19-08-2002
14. Madhya Pradesh (5) 36. Bhoj Wetlands 19-08-2002
37. Sirpur Wetland 07-01-2022
38. Sakhya Sagar 07-01-2022
39. Yashwant Sagar 07-01-2022
40. Tawa Reservoir* 08-01-202415. Maharashtra (3) 41. Nandur Madhameshwar 21-06-2019
42. Lonar Lake 22-07-2020
43. Thane Creek 13-04-2022
16. Manipur (1) 44. Loktak Lake 23-03-1990
17. Mizoram (1) 45. Pala Wetland 31-08-2021
18. Odisha (6) 46. Chilka Lake 01-10-1981
47. Bhitarkanika Mangroves 19-08-2002
48. Satkosia Gorge 12-10-2021
49. Tampara Lake 12-10-2021
50. Hirakud Reservoir 12-10-2021
51. Ansupa Lake 12-10-2021
19. Punjab (6) 52. Harike Lake 23-03-1990
53. Kanjli Lake 22-01-2002
54. Ropar Lake 22-01-2002
55. Beas Conservation Reserve 26-09-2019
56. Keshopur - Miani Community Reserve 26-09-2019
57. Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary 26-09-2019
20. Rajasthan (5) 58. Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur 1-10-1981
District)
59. Sambhar Lake (Jaipur District) 23-03-1990
60. Menar Wetland Complex* (Udaipur 19-02-2025
District)
61. Khichan wetland* (Phalodi District) 19-02-2025
62. Siliserh Lake* (Alwar District) 07.07.2025
21. Sikkim (1) 63. Khachoedpalri wetland* 15-07-2024
22. Tamil Nadu (20) 64. Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird 19-08-2002
Sanctuary
65. Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary 08-11-2021
66. Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary 08-11-2021
67. Karikili Bird Sanctuary 08-04-2022
68. Pichavaram Mangrove 08/04/2022
69. Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest 08-04-2022
70. Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere 08-04-2022
Reserve
71. Vembannur Wetland Complex 08-04-2022
72. Vellode Bird Sanctuary 08-04-2022
73. Udhayamarthandapuram Bird 08-04-2022
Sanctuary
74. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary 08-04-2022
75. Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex 08-04-2022
76. Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary 08-04-2022
77. Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary 08-04-2022
78. Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary* 24-05-2023
79. Longwood Shola Reserve Forest* 24-05-2023
80. Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary* 16-01-2024
81. Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary* 16-01-2024
82. Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary* 15-07-2024
83. Therthangal Bird Sanctuary* 15-07-202423. Tripura (1) 84. Rudrasagar Lake 08-11-2005
24. Uttar Pradesh (13) 85. Upper Ganga River 08-11-2005
86. Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary 19-09-2019
87. Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary 02-12-2019
88. Saman Bird Sanctuary 02-12-2019
89. Samaspur Bird Sanctuary 03-10-2019
90. Sandi Bird Sanctuary 26-09-2019
91. Sarsai NawarJheel 19-09-2019
92. Sur Sarovar 21-08-2020
93. Haiderpur Wetland 13-04-2021
94. Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary 29-06-2021
95. Patna Bird Sanctuary* 04-12-2025
96. Sheikha Jheel Bird Sanctuary* 19-01-2026
97. Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary* 19.01.2026
25. Uttarakhand (1) 98. Asan Conservation Reserve 21-07-2020
26. West Bengal (2) 99. East Calcutta Wetlands 19-08-2002
100. Sundarban Wetland 30-01-2019
26. States & UTs 100 Ramsar Sites
*25 new wetlands designated as Ramsar sites during the year from 2023 to till date.Annexure-B
Annexure-B referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Starred Q. No. 5 to be
answered on Monday, the 20th July, 2026 on ‘Notification of Ramsar Sites’
Criteria for designating a wetland as a Ramsar site
(A) Sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types
Criterion 1. If it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural
wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.
(B) Criteria based on species and ecological communities
Criterion 2. If it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species; or
threatened ecological communities.
Criterion 3. If it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining
the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.
Criterion 4. If it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or
provides refuge during adverse conditions.
(C) Specific criteria based on water birds
Criterion 5. If it regularly supports 20,000 or more water birds.
Criterion 6. If it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or
subspecies of waterbirds.
(D) Specific criteria based on fish
Criterion 7. If it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or
families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of
wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.
Criterion 8. If it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or
migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.
(E) Specific criteria based on water/life and culture
Criterion 9. If it is an important source of food and water resource, increased possibilities for
recreation and eco-tourism, improved scenic values, educational opportunities, conservation of
cultural heritage (historic or religious sites).
*****