RAJESH NAYAK

THE RAMSAR CONVENTION AND ITS MISSION

The Conventions mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development

throughout the world.

Wetlands are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems. They provide essential services and

supply all our fresh water. However they continue to be degraded and converted to other uses.

The Convention uses a broad definition of wetlands. It includes all lakes and rivers, underground

aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats,

mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice

paddies, reservoirs and salt pans.

Under the three pillars of the Convention, the Contracting Parties commit to:

work towards the wise use of all their wetlands; designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar

List) and ensure their effective management; cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species.

Ramsar sites in India, compiled state wise.

A. Jammu & Kashmir

J & K has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India. There are 4 Ramsar sites in J & K. The reason is

clear, due to its glacial topography; water-lands remain even at high altitudes.

1. Wular Lake-

the largest freshwater lake in India.

Jhelum flows through it.

The Tulbul project is on this river.

The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River.

In ancient times called Mahapadamsar.

Nilamata Purana also mentions it as 'Mahapadmasaras'.

Mahapadamsar is referred as Bolor by Al-Biruni {960-1031 AD}.

gives rise to high leaping waves in the afternoons, called Ullola in Sanskrit; meaning stormy

leaping, high rising waves being called 'Ullola'.

an important fish habitat, the main species being the common carp , rosy

barb , mosquitofish , Nemacheilus species, Crossocheilus latius, and various snowtrout species in

the genera Schizopyge and Schizothorax.

Snowtrout species identified in the lake include the Sattar snowtrout , Chirruh

snowtrout , Schizothorax planifrons, Schizothorax macropogon, Schizothorax

longipinus and Chush snowtrout .

Terrestrial birds observed around the lake include the black-eared kite, Eurasian

sparrowhawk, short-toed eagle, Himalayan golden eagle, Himalayan monal, chukar

RAJESH NAYAK

partridge, koklass pheasant, rock dove,common cuckoo, alpine swift, Indian roller, Himalayan

woodpecker, hoopoe, barn swallow, golden oriole and others.

The Tulbul Project is a "navigation lock-cum-control structure" at the mouth of Wular Lake.

There has been an ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over the Tulbul Project since

1987, when Pakistan objected that it violated the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

India stopped work on the project that year, but has since pressed to restart construction.

2. Tso moriri-

the largest of the high altitude lakes in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region, entirely

within India.

sits between Ladakh, India to the North, Tibet to the east, and Zanskar in the west.

The place is heaven on earth.

a lake in the Ladakhi part of the Changthang Plateau (literally: northern plains) in Jammu and

Kashmir in northern India.

the largest of the high altitude lakes entirely within India and entirely within Ladakh in this

Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region.

The official name of the land and water reserve here is the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation

Reserve.

fed by springs and snow-melt from neighboring mountains.

Most water enters the lake in two major stream systems, one entering the lake from the north, the

other from the southwest.

Both stream systems include extensive marshes where they enter the lake.

It formerly had an outlet to the south, but this has become blocked and the lake has become

a endorheic lake.

The lake is oligotrophic in nature, and its waters are alkaline.

there are four groups and Tso Moriri falls under the third group of remnant lakes".

The classification as reported states. (i) Glacial lakes which are formed in and around glaciers;

(ii) Structural lakes, formed by folds or faults due to movements in earths crust (e.g. Nainitallake

in Uttarakhand), (iii) Remnant lakes which were originally structural but represent the remnants

of vast lakes (e.g., Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Pangong Tso in Ladakh, and Dal Lake in Kashmir), (iv)

Natural dammed lakes i.e., temporary water bodies formed along the river courses due to

deposition of rocks or debris e.g. Gohna Tal in Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

The Changthang Plateau in the eastern Ladakh represents a landscape of low productive

ecosystems which protects unique floral and faunal species.

Changpas", the nomadic migratory shepherds (pastoral community) of yak, sheep, goat,

and horses of Tibetan origin and who are engaged in trade and work on caravans

in Ladakh region, are the main inhabitants of the area.

The Korzok Monastery, on the western bank of the lake is 400 years old and attracts tourists

and Buddhist pilgrims.

On the south, a nearly flat valley connects with but does not drain into or out of the Pare

Chu (river.)

RAJESH NAYAK

Geologically the lake is in Ordovician rock.

Fauna and Flora

Avifauna

Thirty-four species of birds included 14 species of water birds (some are pictured in the gallery)

of which following are the vulnerable species

Black-necked cranes endangered.

Bar-headed geese only breeding ground in India

Brown-headed gulls

Great crested grebe (rare)

Ferruginous pochard

Black-necked grebe (rare)

Mammals

Tibetan gazelle, Procapra picticaudata, Goa antelope (threatened)

Lynx

Nayan Ovis ammon hodgsoni

Bharal Himalayan blue sheep

Tibetan Ass or Equus kiang, endemic to the Tibetan Plateau

Great Tibetan Sheep

One species of marmot, Marmota himalayana in large numbers seen on the hill slopes

surrounding the lake and also along the roadsides

One species of hare, Lepus oistolus

One species of vole, Alticola roylei

Three species of mouse hares, Ochotona macrotis, Ochotona curzoniae or Tibetan sand fox

and Scincella ladacensis

Large carnivores

Carnivores fauna reported are:

the snow leopard (Uncia uncia)

the Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco)

Ramsar site

notified in November 2002 under the List of Ramsar Wetland sites under the Ramsar

Convention.

3. Hokersar Wetland-

a wetland situated near Srinagar.

Thousands of migratory birds come to Hokersar from Siberia and other regions in the winter

season.

Migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia use wetlands in Kashmir as their transitory camps.

Date of Declaration: 08/11/05.

RAJESH NAYAK

Located at the northwest Himalayan biogeopgraphic province of Kashmir, back of the snow-

draped Pir Panchal only 10 km from scenic paradise of Srinagar.

the only site with remaining reedbeds of Kashmir and pathway of 68 waterfowl species like

Large Egret, Great Crested Grebe, Little Cormorant, Common Shelduck, Tufted Duck and

endangered White-eyed Pochard, coming from Siberia, China, Central Asia, and Northern

Europe.

an important source of food, spawning ground and nursery for fishes, besides offering feeding

and breeding ground to a variety of water birds.

Typical marshy vegetation complexes inhabit like Typha, Phragmites, Eleocharis, Trapa, and

Nymphoides species ranging from shallow water to open water aquatic flora.

4. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes-

a beautiful lake fringed by forest-covered hills, over a mile in length by half-a-mile in width.

also a holy site, sharing the legend and sanctity of Lake Mansarovar.

Freshwater composite lake in semi-arid Panjab Plains, adjoining the Jhelum Basin with

catchment of sandy conglomeratic soil, boulders and pebbles.

Surinsar is rain-fed without permanent discharge, and Mansar is primarily fed by surface run-off

and partially by mineralised water through paddy fields, with inflow increasing in rainy season.

The lake supports CITES and IUCN Red listed Lissemys punctata, Aspideretes gangeticus, and

Mansariella lacustris.

an attractive habitat, breeding and nursery ground for migratory waterfowls like Fulica atra,

Gallinula chloropus, Podiceps nigricollis, Aythya fuligula, and various Anas species.

mythical origin from the Mahabharata period.

B. Himachal Pradesh

1. Pong Dam Lake-

Maharana Pratap Sagar in India, also known as Pong Reservoir or Pong Dam Lake was created in

1975, by building the highest earthfill dam in India on the Beas River in the wetland zone of

theSiwalik Hills of the Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Named in the honour of Maharana Pratap (15721597), the reservoir or the lake is a well-known

wildlife sanctuary and one of the 25 international wetland sites declared in India by the Ramsar

Convention.

The Pong Reservoir and Gobindsagar Reservoir are the two most important fishing reservoirs in

the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh.

The reservoir is bounded by the rugged Dhauladhar mountain range, the low foothills of

the Himalaya on the northern edge of the Indo-Gangetic plains, and the mountain streams cutting

through valleys.

The Beas River, on which the Pong Dam is located, is one of the five major rivers of

the Indus basin.

The river flows from the Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass, in the upper Himalayas, and traverses

generally in a north-south direction until Largi, from where it turns sharply at nearly a right angle

and flows in a westerly direction up to the Pong Dam.

RAJESH NAYAK

Subsequent to the partition of India, the waters of the Indus river system were allocated river

wise, with certain stipulations, as per the Indus Water Treaty (1960), between India and Pakistan.

India got exclusive use of the three eastern rivers (the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj) and Pakistan

got the exclusive use of the three western rivers (the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab).

Following this treaty, India prepared a master plan to utilize the waters of 3 rivers which came to

its share. and the Bhakra Dam was constructed across Satluj River.

Then, the Beas River was tapped in two stages, with the Pong Dam forming the second stage

development.

Ravi River has also been developed through the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project or Thein Dam.

All three river developments are multipurpose in nature involving irrigation, water supply and

hydropower generation

The Beas Dam has been built on the Beas River as it enters the plains at Talwara, also called as

another temple of modern India.

it is the highestearthfill dam in India.

The reservoir peripheral land area has mixed perennial and deciduous pine forests on hills.

Eucalyptus trees have also been grown in the area.

The forest growth provides enough sustenance to the migratory birds.

The tree species of the forest area are acacia, jamun, shisham, mango, mulberry, ficus,

kachanar, amla andprunus.

A variety of shrubs, grasses and climbers have also been reported.

Before the reservoir was built, catfishes, mirror carps and a few coarse fish were the dominant

fish fauna in the Beas River.

The reservoir was declared as a bird sanctuary in 1983.

The main bird species reported are the barheaded geese, Anser indicus, northern lapwing, ruddy

shelduck, northern pintail, common teal, spot-billed duck, Eurasian coot, red-necked

grebe, black-headed gulls, plovers, black stork, terns, water-fowl and egrets.

The periphery above the water surface area of the reservoir has recorded fauna species such

as barking deer, sambar, wild boars, leopards and oriental small-clawed otters.

Barheaded geese Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) Red-necked grebe Egrets Kingfishers

Muntjac deer, also known as barking deer Oriental small clawed otter were seen,

Himanchal Pradesh

1. Renuka Lake-

Renuka lake is the largest lake in Himachal, named after Goddess Renuka.

dry mixed deciduous forest and dry sal forest.

2. Chandra Taal-

Situated in the Spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh (India), Chandra

originates from its crescent shape.

RAJESH NAYAK

Situated in the Spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh (India), Chandra

Taal is a popular destination for trekkers and campers.

During springtime, these meadows are carpeted with hundreds of kinds of wildflowers.

The lake is situated on the Samudra Tapu plateau, which overlooks the Chandra River.

The lake is one of two high-altitude wetlands of India which have been designated as Ramsar

sites.

Kerala

1. Sasathamkotta Lake-

the largest fresh water lake in Kerala, a state of India on the south of the West Coast.

The lake is named after the ancient Sastha temple (a pilgrimage centre) located on its bank.

It meets the drinking water needs of half million people of the Quilon district and also provides

fishing resources.

The purity of the lake water for drinking use is attributed to the presence of large population of

larva called cavaborus that consumes bacteria in the lake water.

The lake is a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since

November 2002.

The Lake water is reported to be free of common salt or other minerals and metals.

Vegetation is negligible and rooted plants and floating plants are unimportant and insignificant.

The crops grown on the banks of the lake, apart from paddy, are the plantation crops such

as cashewnut, tapioca and plantain.

27 species of freshwater fishes include pearl spot and catfish, two genera of prawns, 21 species

of herrings and sardines of the familyClupeidae

Common fish such as Calichrous bimaculatus and Wallago attu These varieties of fish generally

have whisker-like barbells set around their mouths.

The Common Teal or dabbling duck is the smallest migratory bird found in the lake.

Some of the vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species reported by WWF in the

lake area are:

Critically Endangered: Puntius ticto punctatus (Day)

Endangered: Horabagrus brachysoma (Gunther)

Vulnerable: Parambassis thomassi (Day)

Resident troupes of monkeys are sighted on the banks in large numbers, which are part of the

Sasthamkotta temple environment on the bank of the Lake.

13 species of insects have also been identified; 9 are butterflies, 2 odonates and 2 hymenopterans.

2. Vembanad-Kol Wetland-

the longest lake in India, and the largest lake in the state of Kerala.

also counted as one of the largest lakes in India.

Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Punnamada

Lake in Kuttanad, Kochi Lake in Kochi.

RAJESH NAYAK

Several groups of small islands including Vypin,Mulavukad, Vallarpadam, Willingdon Island are

located in the Kochi Lake portion.

Kochi Port is built around theWillingdon Island, and the Vallarpadam island.

High levels of pollution have been noticed at certain hotspots of the Vembanad backwaters.

Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under National Wetlands

Conservation Programme.

The lake is fed by 10 rivers flowing into it including the six major rivers of central Kerala namely

the Achenkovil, Manimala, Meenachil,Muvattupuzha, Pamba and Periyar.

The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the northern fringes of Kumarakom village.

defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands in

2002.

the largest of the three Ramsar Sites in the state of Kerala.

home to more than 20,000 waterfowls - the third largest such population in India.

also an ideal habitat for shrimps.

3. Ashtamudi Wetland Lake-

Ashtamudi Lake is a palm-shaped (also called octopus-shaped) large water body, next only to the

Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state.

the most visited backwater and lake in the state.

Ashtamudi means 'eight coned' (Ashta : 'eight'; mudi : 'coned') in the local Malayalam language.

The name is indicative of the lake's topography with its multiple branches.

The lake is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala and is well known for its

houseboat and backwater resorts.

importance is claimed to be dated to the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans.

Ibn Batuta, during his 24-year sojourn in the 14th century, is reported to have mentioned about

the Quilon port as one of the five ports for Chinese trade.

Links with Persia (9th century), Chinese mandarin in 1275 AD, Portuguese in 1502 AD, and the

Dutch followed British in 1795 AD are recorded history.

Kallada River is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake.

The Kallada river, which originates near Ponmudi from the Kulathupuzha hills Western

Ghats in Thiruvananthapuram District,

is formed by the confluence of three rivers, viz.,Kulathupuzha, Chenthurnipuzha, and

Kalthuruthipuzha.

it is Keralas deepest estuary.

has mangroves Avicennia officinalis, Brugiera gymnorrhiza and Sonneratia caseolaris as also 43

species of marshy and mangrove associates including two endangered species Syzygium

travancoricum (endangered species according to the Red Data Book of Indian Plants)

and Calamus rotang in theTerrestrial system.

These species offer excellent scope for development of marine bioreserve to promote eco-

tourism in the estuarine of the lake.

RAJESH NAYAK

IUCN lists the two endangered species in IUCN 2008.

The major threats to the endangered species are reportedly draining of the wet lands and

conversion into paddy fields.

Terns, plovers, cormorants, and herons are most abundant birds in the lake.

identified 45 insect species, including 26 species of butterfly, 5 odonates, 9 hymenopteras, and 2

orthopterans, 1 hemipteran and 2 coleopterans.

About 29 zooplankton species have also been identified.

The water body is found to have 9 phytoplanktons such as Amphora, Borosigma, Cyclotella,

Cymbella, Gyrozigma, Meloziva, Navicula and Nitzschi.

also a congenial habitat for all species of penacid and palaemonid Prawns, edible crabs, black

Clams and a variety of fish.

situtaed on the bank of the Ashtamudi Lake, provides an enchanting natural beauty and also feel

of rustic life of a village.

The significance of this village is due the fact that the first epic poetry in the Malayalam

language, Ramachandravilasam, was composed by the poet Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup in this

village. An ancient 1000 year old temple and a 200 year old church are located here,

D. Punjab

1. Harike-

also known as Hari-ke-Pattan, is the largest wetland in northern India.

The wetland and the lake were formed by constructing the headworks across the Sutlej river, in

1953.

man-made, riverine, lacustrine wetland spreads into the three districts

of Amritsar,Ferozepur and Kapurthala in Punjab .

The grand Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan is fed from this source.

The lake is triangular in shape, with its apex in the west, bounded by a bund called the Dhussi

Bund forming one side, a canal in the second and a major road on the third.

The rich biodiversity of the wetland, with several species of birds, species of turtles, species

of snakes, taxa of amphibians, taxa of fishes and taxa of invertebrates, is reportedly unique.

The wetland was declared a bird sanctuary in 1982 and named as Harike Pattan Bird Sanctuary

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) carried out research and a bird ringing programme

during the period 198085.

some of the well known species are the cotton pygmy goose, tufted duck , yellow-crowned

woodpecker , yellow-eyed pigeon ,water cock , Pallas's gull , brown-headed gull , black-headed

gull , yellow-footed gull , Indian skimmer , white-winged tern , white-rumped vulture , hen

harrier , Eurasian tree sparrow , hawk , Eurasian hobby , horned grebe , black-necked

grebe , great crested grebe , white-browed fantail , brown shrike, common woodshrike , white-

tailed stonechat , white-crowned penduline tit , rufous-vented prinia , striated grassbird , Cetti's

warbler , sulphur-bellied warbler and diving duck.

RAJESH NAYAK

Endangered Testudines Turtle and Smooth Indian Otter or Smooth-coated Otter, listed in

the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)

Red list of Threatened Animals, are found in the wetland.

The Indus dolphin supposed to have become extinct in India after 1930, but largely found in the

Indus river system in Pakistan, was recently sighted in the Beas River in Harike wetland

area classified as a critically endangered species in the Red Data Book of the International Union

for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is considered a significant find.

An authority on freshwater dolphins with the endangered species management wing of

the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun has also confirmed this finding.

Discovering it in the year 2007, which was declared by the United Nations as Dolphin Year, was

considered a special event.

However, in the same Beas River, about 140 km downstream of the Harike Barrage in Pakistan

territory, Indus dolphins are commonly found.

2. Kanjali-

a man made Wetland, which subsumes the Kanjli Lake.

located in the Kapurthala district of Punjabstate in India, was created in 1870 by constructing the

headworks across the perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas River to provide irrigation

facilities to the hinterland.

recognized internationally by the Ramsar Convention in 2002 by designating the Kanjli Lake in

the List of Wetlands of International Importance.

Kanjli is upstream of Harike wetland located in the Beas river basin while the Ropar wetland is

in the Roopnagar district.

" areas of marsh, fen, peatland, or water whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary,

with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the

depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres".

Twelve varieties of trees recorded in the wetland are 1) Acacia arabica,

2) Albizzia lebbeck,3) Azadirachta indica, 4) Dalbergia sissoo, 5) Eucalyptus hybrid, 6)Ficus

bengalensis, 7) Mangifera indica, 8) Melia azedarach, 9) Morus alba, 10) Prosopis juliflora,

11) Syzygium cumini and 12) Ziziphus mauritiana

Shrubs recorded are: Calotropis procera, Ipomoea crassicaulis and Tamarix dioca

Herbs noted are Saccharum munja, S.spontaneum, Scirpus sp.and other common herbs.

The tortoise is the common reptile reported in the area.

Birds found in the wetland are of two varieties, viz., common resident birds (28 species) and the

migratory birds of 9 species.

The migratory birds are: 1) Various species of goose, 2) White eyed pochard, 3) Wigeon, 4)

Tufted pochard, 5) Common Teal, 6) Large whistling teal, 7) Pintail, 8)Mallard and 9) Shoveller

RAJESH NAYAK

Fauna

The mammalian fauna seen in the wetland are 1) the Indian Civet, 2) Mongoose, 3) Indian

porcupine, 4) squirrel and 5) common Indian hare.

3. Ropar-Ropar Wetland,

also named Ropar Lake, is a man-made freshwater riverine and lacustrine wetland.

The area has at least 9 mammal, 154 bird (migratory and local), 35 fish, 9 arthropod, 11 rotifer,

9 crustacean and 10 protozoan species, making it biologically diverse.

located in the Shivalik foothills of the LowerHimalayas and was created in 1952 on the Sutlej

River, in the Punjab state of India, by building a head regulator to store and divert water for

beneficial uses of irrigation, drinking and industrial water supply.

The endangered turtle Chitra indica and the threatened snake Python molurus ("at lower risk"), as

per IUCN Redlist, are reported to be resident in the wetland.

The Museum depicts a sequence of six cultural periods or phases, with some breaks

from Harappan times to the present day, found in the 21 metre high ancient mound known as

Nalagarh Tibbi overlaying the Shiwalik (also spelt Sivalik) deposition on the left bank of the

Satluj River where it emerges into the plains.

A deep well with a stone inscription of Emperor Shah Jahan (A.D. 1627-1658) has been located

at the foot of the mound.

excavations have established that advanced civilization similar to

the Harappa and Mohenjodaro Civilization prospered in Ropar town, an integral part of the

wetland.

The wetland area has also a modern history in respect of Anglo - Sikh relations.

On 26 October 1831, sitting under the shade of an old ficus tree on the bank ofSutlej

River, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Lord William Bentinck, the British Governor General signed

an agreement defining the Anglo - Sikh relations and territories.

Flora

A total of 19 species of trees and 14 species of bushes and grasses are recorded. Of these, the tree

species are 1) Acacia catechu, 2) Ameles modesta, 3)Acacia nilotica, 4) Albizzia lebbek

5) Azadirachta indica, 6)Bombax ceiba, 7) Cassia fistula, 8) Dalbergia sissoo 9) Eucalyptus

tereticornis, 10) Ficus benghalensis, 11)Ficus religiosa, 12) Mangifera indica, 13)Melia

azedarach, 14) Moringa oleifera, 15) Morus indica, 16) Prosopis juliflora, 17) Salix willow,

18)Syzygium cumini (Jambul) and 19) Zizyphus jujuba.

Four species of Amphibia (Frogs) have been noted.

Avifauna

Dinopium benghalense; Golden-backed Woodpecker; Megalaima haemacephala; Crimson-breasted

barbet; and M. zeylanica Green barbet

RAJESH NAYAK

Fauna

Two species of tortoise viz., Geoclemys hamiltonii and Chitra indica (endangered species), five

species of lizards, 11 species of snakes including the threatened specie of Python molurus or Indian

python or ajgar are found in the wetland.

Indian python (Python molurus molurus, Near threatened species) Ficus tree or fig tree Golden

Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) Bombax ceiba (Cotton tree) Wallago attu, a species of catfish

Coppersmith Barbet(Megalaima haemacephala) Geoclemys hamiltonii(Spotted Pond turtle)

E. Rajasthan

1. Keoladeo National Park-

a man-made and man-managed wetland and one of the national parks of India.

a famous avifauna sanctuary that plays host to thousands of birds especially during the winter

season.

It is also a major tourist centre with scores of ornithologists arriving here in the hibernal season.

It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971.

It is also a declared World Heritage Site.

The reserve protects Bharatpur from frequent floods, provides grazing grounds for village cattle and

earlier was primarily used as a waterfowl hunting ground.

locally known as Ghana, and is a mosaic of dry grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps, and

wetlands.

Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering breeding etc.

The Sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world.

It is known for nesting of its resident birds and visiting migratory birds including water birds.

The rare Siberian cranes used to winter in this park but this central population of Siberian cranes is

now extinct.

Keoladeo Sanctuary is the worlds best bird area.

Painted stork at Keoladeo National Park.

A similar habitat with short grasses, such as Cynodon dactylon and Dicanthium annulatum also

exists. Woodlands with thickets of huge Kadam trees (Neolamarckia cadamba) are distributed in

scattered pockets. Richness and diversity of plant life inside the Park is remarkable.

The Wetland is a part of the Indo-Gangetic Great Plains.

A semi-arid biotype, the park is the only area with significant vegetation, hence the term 'Ghana'

meaning 'thicket'.

The principal vegetation types are tropical dry deciduous forest, intermixed with dry grassland in

areas where forest has been degraded.

Apart from the artificially managed marshes; much of the area is covered by medium-sized trees and

shrubs.

RAJESH NAYAK

Forests, mostly in the north-east of the park, are dominated by kalam or kadam, jamun and babul.

The open woodland is mostly babul with a small amount of kandi and ber.

Scrublands are dominated by ber and kair.

It is unlikely that the site would support such numbers of waterfowl as it does without the addition

of water from Ajan Bund, a man-made impoundment.

Soils are predominantly alluvial some clay has formed as a result of the periodic inundations.

The open woodland is mostly babul with a small amount of kandi and ber. Scrublands are dominated

by ber and kair (Capparis decidua).[6]

Piloo also present in the park and happens to be virtually the only woody plants found in areas of

saline soil.

The aquatic vegetation is rich and provides a valuable food source for waterfowl.

Macro invertebrates such as worms, insects and mollusks, though more abundant in variety and

numbers than any other group of organisms, are present mostly in aquatic habitats.

popularly known as bird paradise.

Over 370 bird species have been recorded in the park.

The park's location in the Gangetic Plain makes it an unrivalled breeding site

for herons, storks and cormorants, and an important wintering ground for large numbers of

migrant ducks.

The most common waterfowl are gadwall, shoveler,common teal, cotton teal, tufted duck, comb

duck, little cormorant, great cormorant, Indian shag, ruff, painted stork, white spoonbill, Asian open-

billed stork, oriental ibis, darter, common sandpiper, wood sandpiper and green sandpiper.

Sarus crane, with its spectacular courtship dance, is also found here.

Among landbirds are a rich assortment consisting of warblers, babblers, bee-

eaters, bulbuls, buntings, chats, partridges andquails.

The Indian grey hornbill and Marshall's iora are also present.

There are many birds of prey including the osprey,peregrine, Pallas' sea eagle, short-toed

eagle, tawny eagle, imperial eagle, spotted eagle and crested serpent eagle.

The greater spotted eagle has recently been recorded breeding here, a new breeding record for the

species in India.

Mammalian fauna of Keoladeo National Park is equally rich with 27 identified species.

Nilgai, feral cattle, and chital deerare common while sambar are few.

Wild boar and Indian porcupine are often spotted sneaking out of the Park to raid crop fields.

Two mongoose species, the small Indian mongoose and the common Indian gray mongoose, are

occasionally found.

Cat species present include the jungle cat and the fishing cat.

The Asian palm civet and the small Indian civet are also present, but rarely sighted.

The smooth-coated otter can be seen attacking birds such as coots and at times crossing the

woodlands.

Jackals and hyenas are also sighted and have taken up the role of predators and feed on birds and

rodents.

RAJESH NAYAK

Many species of rats, mice, gerbils and bats are also found in the park.

The herpetofauna of Keoladeo National Park is diverse.

Out of the ten species of turtles that are seen in Rajasthan, seven are present in this park.

The bullfrog and skipper frog are commonly found in the wetlands.

often easy to see a python.

The common monitor lizard, Indian porcupine and bi-colored leaf-nose bat have been seen.

The poisonous snakes found in the park are krait, cobra and Russells viper.

Primates include the rhesus macaque and langurs.

small carnivores include Bengal fox, jackal, striped hyena, common palm civet, small Indian civet,

Indian grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi), fishing cat, leopard cat, jungle cat and smooth-coated

otter.

Ungulates include blackbuck, chital, sambar, hog deer, nilgai and wild boar and feral cattle.

Other mammals include Indian porcupine and Indian hare.

The Siberian crane, which formerly lived throughout the entire Indo-Gangetic plains of India, is

reported to no longer be found in the area.

2. Sambhar Salt Lake-

India's largest inland salt lake,a bowl shape lake encircles historical Sambhar Lake Town located

96 km south west of the city of Jaipur (Northwest India) and 64 km north east of Ajmer along

National Highway 8 in Rajasthan.

The Indian epic Mahabharata mentions the Sambhar lake as part of the kingdom of the demon

king Brishparva, as the place where his priest Sukracharya lived, and as the place where the

marriage between his daughter, Devayani, and King Yayati took place.

A temple dedicated to Devayani can be seen near the lake.

The lakes receives water from an endorheic basin

It is not part of Ganga river basin area and geographically a separate land locked river basin.

The lake is actually an extensive saline wetland

It is located in Nagaur and Jaipur districts and it also borders the Ajmer district.

surrounded on all sides by the Aravali hills.

5.1 km long dam made of sand stone.

Sambhar has been designated as a Ramsar site (recognized wetland of international importance)

because the wetland is a key wintering area for tens of thousands of flamingos and

other birds that migrate from northern Asia.

algae and bacteria growing in the lake provide striking water colours and support the lake

ecology that, in turn, sustains the migrating waterfowl.

There is other wildlife in the nearby forests, where Nilgai move freely along with deer and foxes.

F. Odisha

1. Chilika Lake-

RAJESH NAYAK

a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the

east coast of India.

on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal,

covering an area of over 1,100 km2.

the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world.

the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.

The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.

The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources.

It sustains more than 150,000 fisherfolk living in 132 villages on the shore and islands.

The lagoon hosts over 160 species of birds in the peak migratory season.

Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia,

Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here.

In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under

the Ramsar Convention.

Microalgae, marine seaweeds, sea grasses, fishes and crabs also flourish in the brackish water of

the Chilika Lagoon.

The site is located on the left bank of the Malaguni River, a tributary of the Daya River, which

flows into Chilika Lake.

The recovery of many woodworking adzes and other artifacts shows that Golabai was a boat-

building centre.

Significantly, Golabai is the only excavated site in Odisha where boat building has been revealed.

This also indicates that Chilka lake was very close to Golabai and it facilitated the maritime trade

of people in the area during the ancient period.

Some ancient texts say the southern sector of Chilika was a major harbour for

maritime commerce, when Kharavela (c. 209 BCEafter 170 BCE), the King of Kalinga, was

known as Lord of the Sea.

A 10th-century text, the Brahmanda Purana, mentions Chilika Lake as an important centre of

trade and commerce, and a shelter for ships sailing to Java, Malaya,Singhala, China and other

countries.

The lake is of estuarine character in an ephemeral environment.

The catchment area of Chilika lake has a rock, sand and mud substratum.

It contains a wide range of sedimentary particles such as clay, silt, sand, gravel and shell banks

but the major part of the catchment area is silt.

The abrupt change in the direction of the coast north of the lake, strong winds shifting sand to the

shore, long shore drift (littoral drift), the presence or absence of strong river and tidal currents in

different areas are the reasons attributed for the growth of the spit.

White bands of coral in the southern sector, at a height of 8 m (26 ft), above the present water

level, shows that the area was once marine and that the water was much deeper than present.

The six major islands are Parikud, Phulbari, Berahpura, Nuapara, Nalbana, and Tampara.

RAJESH NAYAK

The width of the old channel to the sea, now reported to be about 100 m (328.1 ft), is known

as Magarmukha (Mouth of the Crocodile).

The important rivers of this drainage system are the Kansari, the Kusumi, the Janjira and the

Tarimi rivers.

On the north east a channel connects the lake to the Bay of Bengal.

A tropical monsoon climate prevails over the drainage basin area of the lake. The lake

experiences Southwest and North-east monsoons during June to September and November to

December respectively with average annual rainfall

Lake water is alkaline.

By 1993, the problems in Chilika were so severe that the lake was put under "The Montreux

Record" as the lake was considered to have undergone, to be undergoing, or to be likely to

undergo change in its ecological character brought about by human action.

The purpose was to stimulate remedial measures for the lake's conservation, supplemented with

adequate monitoring.

It was expected that such an action would benefit from the advice from Ramsar Advisory

Mission and other identified technical assistance programmes.

In 2003, collaboration of Indian and Japanese experts led to a friendly relationship between

Chilika lake and Saroma Lake in Japan called Sister Wetlands.

The ecological richness of the lake is of great value in preserving the genetic diversity because of

the multiplicity of its habitat, flora and fauna. (Some are pictured in the photo gallery).

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) surveyed the lake between 1985 and 1988 and identified

800 species of fauna, including many rare, endangered, threatened and vulnerable species, but

excluding terrestrial insects.

The rare and threatened animal species identified are green sea

turtle (EN), dugong (VU), Irrawaddy dolphin (VU),blackbuck (NT), Spoon billed

sandpiper (CR), limbless skink and fishing cat (EN).

24 mammalian species were reported. 37 species of reptiles and amphibians are also reported.

Avifauna

Chilika Lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds, on the Indian sub-continent.

It is one of the hotspots of biodiversity in the country.

Some species listed in the IUCN Red List of threatened animals inhabit the lake for at least part

of their life cycle.

White bellied sea eagles, greylag geese, purple moorhen, jacana, flamingos, egrets, gray and

purple herons, Indian roller, storks, white ibis, spoonbills, brahminy ducks, shovellers, pintails,

and more.

Migratory water fowl arrive here from as far as the Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake and remote parts

of Russia, Mongolia, Lakah, Siberia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and from the Himalayas.

A census conducted in the winter of 1997-98 recorded about 2 million birds in the lake.

Nalbana Bird Sanctuary-

RAJESH NAYAK

Nalbana Island is the core area of the Ramsar designated wetlands of Chilika Lake.

Nalbana means a weed covered island In the Oriya language.

As the monsoon recedes in the winter, lake levels decrease and the island is gradually exposed,

birds flock to the island in large numbers to feed on its extensive mudflats.

Nalbana was notified in 1987 and declared a bird sanctuary in 1973 under the Wildlife Protection

Act.

Large flocks of greater flamingos from Iran and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, feed in the shallow

waters of the lake.

long legged waders seen around Nalbana Island are the lesser flamingos, Goliath heron, grey

herons, purple herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks and black-headed ibis.

Rare birds reported in the lake are Asiatic dowitchers (NT), Dalmatian pelican(VU), Pallas's fish-

eagles (VU), the very rare migrant spoon-billed sandpiper(CR) and spot-billed pelican (NT).

The white-bellied sea eagle, pariah kite, brahminy kites, kestrel, marsh harriers, and the world's

most widespread bird of prey, peregrine falcon, are among the raptors seen here.

Six threatened species have reappeared including:

Milk fish (Seba khainga),

Indo-Pacific tarpon (Panialehio),

Ten pounder (Nahama),

Bream (Kala khuranti),

Hilsa (Tenuealosa) ilisha (ilishi) and

Mullet R. corsula (Kekenda)

Dolphins

The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is the flagship species of Chilika lake.

Chilka is home to the only known population of Irrawaddy dolphins in India and one of only two

lagoons in the world that are home to this species.

It is classified as critically endangered, in five of the six other places it is known to live.

Chilka Lake is one of the best bird watching spots in India, and is also popular for fishing and

angling.

2. Bhitarkanika Mangroves-

were Zamindari forests until 1952, when the government of Odisha abolished the Zamindari

system, and put the Zamindari forests in the control of the state forest department.

The Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which bounds the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary

to the east, was created in September 1997, and encompasses Gahirmatha Beach and an adjacent

portion of the Bay of Bengal.

Bhitarkanika Mangroves were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2002.

The Bhitarkanika Mangroves are home to 55 of India's 58 known mangrove species.

RAJESH NAYAK

The mangroves harbor one of India's largest populations of saltwater crocodiles, and Gahirmatha

Beach, which separates the mangroves from the Bay of Bengal, is the world's most important

nesting beach for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.

In 2006 the Park was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest white

crocodile living in captivity also measuring 23 feet.

Rhesus monkey, leopard cat, fishing cat, jungle cat, small Indian civet cat, toddy cat, common

mongoose, jackal, striped hyena, Indian fox, wild pig, Indian porcupine, mole rat, long tailed tree

mouse, spotted deer, sambar, common otter, smooth Indian otter are also found here.

Olive Ridley Turtles Gahirmatha coast in Kendrapara district is the worlds largest nesting beach

for olive Ridley turtles is packed with pleasure for tourists.

Declared a wild life sanctuary in Odisha in 1979 and a world heritage site, Gahirmatha is

significant for turtle conservation.

The breathtaking view of the sanctuary, located on the converging point of the Dhamra River and

Bay of Bengal attracts nature loving tourists.

One will find flaura like Bels, terminenalia, Zizphus Bija, Salaia Sal, Babul, Teak, Bamboo and

many other varieties in the sanctuary.

Although the sanctuary is famous for the giant olive Ridleys which travel from as far as the

Pacific ocean to nest her, it also hosts the wild boars, barking deers, bears, leopards, crocodiles,

jungle fowls, hyenas, wild dogs, four horned antelopes, sloth bears and blue bulls.

G. Andhra Pradesh

Kolleru Lake-

one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in state of Andhra Pradesh 20 kilometers away

from the city of Eluru.

located between Krishna and Godavari delta. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and West

Godavari.

serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for these two rivers.

fed directly by water from the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru streams, and is connected to

the Krishna and Godavari systems by over 68 in-flowing drains and channels.

this lake is a major tourist attraction.

Many birds migrate here in winter, such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks.

The lake was an important habitat resident and migratory birds, including the grey or spot-billed

pelican (Pelecanus philippensis).

The lake was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wildlife

Protection Act of 1972, and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002

under the international Ramsar Convention.

Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts migratory birds from northern Asia and Eastern Europe.

The resident birds include grey pelicans, Asian open-billed storks , painted storks, glossy

ibises, white ibises,teals, pintails and shovellers.

RAJESH NAYAK

The migratory birds include red-crested pochards, blackwinged stilts, avocets, common red

shanks, wigeons, gadwalls and cormorants, garganeys, herons and flamingos.

Kolleru lake contains numerous fertile islets called lanka's,many of the small ones are submerged

during floods.

Two copper plates of the early Pallava dynasty have been found in the lake, tracing its history to

Langula Narasimha Deva (Langulya Gajapathi Raju) an Ganga Vanshi Odisha king,

(Oddiya/Oriya raju).

According to legend, the Gajapathi fort was located at Kolleti Kota on one of the eastern islands

of the lake.

Sri Peddinti Ammavari is one of the oldest and famous temples found in Kolleru.

The Suryavanshi Gajapatis of Odisha, on the height of their power in the 15th century, ruled over

a kingdom extending from the Ganges river in the north to the Kaveri in the south under Gajapati

Kapilendra Deva.

The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu Suryavamsi dynasty of Kalinga- Utkal Odisha who ruled

large parts of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

During the glorious reign of Kapilendra deva, the first Suryavamsi Gajapati emperor, the

boundary of the Kalinga empire (Ancient Odisha) stretched from river Ganges in North

to Kaveri in South and from Amarkantak in West to Bay of Bengal(Kalinga Sagara) in east.

H. Assam

Deepor Beel-

Dipor Bil, also spelt Deepor Beel is located to the south-west of Guwahati city, in Kamrup

district of Assam, India

a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the

main river.

also called a wetland under the Ramsar Convention which has listed the lake in November 2002,

as a Ramsar Site for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and

environmental importance.

Considered as one of the largest Beels in the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam, it is

categorised as representative of the wetland type under the Burma Monsoon Forest

biogeographic region.

It is claimed that Beel was an important dockyard of the Tai-Ahom as well as the Mughals.

The medieval history reports of Ahom-Mughal conflicts. It is also stated that Kampitha and

Rambrai Syiemship (the supreme political authority is known as the Syiemship in Meghalaya had

control over this area.

While the beel and its lowland fringe are said to be underlaid by recent alluvium consisting of

clay, silt, sand and pebbles, the highlands immediately to the north and south of the beel are

made up of gneisses and schists of the Archaean age.

RAJESH NAYAK

The Basistha and Kalmani rivers and local monsoon run-off are the main sources of water to the

lake, between May and September.

Khonajan channel drains the beel into the Brahmaputra river.

has been declared as Deepor Beel Sanctuary by the Government of Assam.

Some of the globally threatened species of birds like Spotbilled Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork,

Baers Pochard, Pallas' Sea Eagle, Greater Adjutant Stork.

Among the large number of migratory water fowl, the Siberian crane regularly migrates to this

habitat during its annual journey.

Considering the richness of the bird varieties found in the beel, the Birdlife International has

declared Deepor Beel as an Important Bird Area (IBA) with high priority for conservation.

Wild Asian Elephants, Leopard, Jungle Cat and the protected Barking

Deer, Chinese Porcupine andSambar are found in the beel.

Herds of elephants are reported in the beel.

Over 120 species of birds have been listed in the sanctuary, which includes Kingfishers,

Fishing eagles, Adjutant storks and abundant varieties of ducks.

A watch tower has been erected on the bank of the beel for bird watching and security purpose.

I. Gujarat

Nal sarovar Bird Sanctuary-

largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India.

consisting primarily of a huge lake and ambient marshes, is situated about 64 km to the West

of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village, in the Gujarat state of India.

Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring, it is the

largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India.

Thousands of migratory waterfowl flock to this sanctuary just after the Indian monsoon season.

Besides a few mammalian species including the endangered wild ass and the black buck, its

migratory bird population includes rosy pelicans, flamingoes, white storks, brahminy

ducks and herons.

Winter migrants from the north including purple moorhen, pelicans, lesser and greater flamingos,

white storks, four species of bitterns, crakes, grebes, brahminy ducks and herons visit Nal

Sarovar.

J. Manipur

Loktak Lake-

the largest freshwater lake in North -East India is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass

of vegetation, soil, and organic matters at various stages of decomposition) floating over it.

RAJESH NAYAK

Keibul Lamjao the only floating national park in the world floats over it.

located near Moirang in Manipur state, India.

The Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai or

Manipur brow-antlered deer, one of three subspecies of Eld's deer.

This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur.

Considering the ecological status and its biodiversity values, the lake was initially designated as

a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on 23 March 1990.

It was also listed under the Montreux Record on 16 June 1993, "a record of Ramsar sites where

changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur"

Of the two river systems which drain the Manipur statethe Barak river and the Manipur

Riverthe Manipur River flows through the Manipur Valley.

The river rises in the north at Karong, flows south of Imphal and hence is also known as

the Imphal River.

Along its course through the valley, downstream of Imphal, the bed slope of the river is gentle.

Drainage pattern, typical of hilly terrain, is sub-dendritic, sub-parallel and sub-radial, which is

dictated by the structure and lithology of the area.

Imphal, Iril and Thoubal River valleys also exhibit a meandering river course.

Phumdis in the Lake circular ones, called athapums, are artificially created for fishing.

Grey sandstonegritconglomeratelimestone sequences intruded by serpentinites containing

minor amounts of enstalite, chromite, amphiboles andmagnetite constitute the Disang formation.

The list includes rare animals such as the Indian python, sambhar and barking deer.

Keibul Lamjao National Park is the natural habitat of one of the most endangered deer, the brow-

antlered deer which was once thought to be extinct, which was declared a national park only to

preserve and conserve this species of Eld's deer.

Small hillocks (though showing degraded condition) in the lake show big trees; birds of prey

such as Milvus migrans lineatus and Circus aeruginosus have been recorded on these trees.

Species of hornbills found are the brown-backed hornbill, rufous-necked hornbill, wreathed

hornbill, the pied hornbill and the great pied hornbill.

The new fish varieties introduced in lake were grass carp, silver carp and the old varieties of the

local fishes like Channa punctatus (ngamu), Anabas testudineus (ukabi), Anguilla (ngaril),

pangba, tharak, and ngashap stated to be under serious decline.

Fauna

Hoolock gibbon seen in the precincts of the Lake in the Keibul Lamjo National Park Fauna

recorded in the precincts of the Lake in the Keibul Lamjo National Park are the Indian

python, sambar, barking deer, the endangered sangai species of Eld's deer, wild bear, Muntiacus

muntjak, rhesus monkey, hoolock gibbon, stump-tailed macaque, Indian civet Viverra

zibetha, marbled cat and Temminck's golden cat.

The population of a number of economic plants such as Saccharum species, Setaria

pumila, Alpinia nigra, Hedychium spicatum and the major food plants like the Zizania,

RAJESH NAYAK

Latifolia, Carex species, Coix species, Narenga has decreased resulting in starvation conditions

for the endangered sangai deer.

With the phumdis becoming thinner, the hoofs of the limbs of sangai get stuck in the marsh and

results in their drowning.

Production of the edible fruit and rhizome of lotus plants has decreased to a great extent. Plants

have also degraded due to polluted water.

Today, Loktak Lake is at the highest level of eutrophication and the only brow-antlered deer is at

the verge of extinction.

K. Madhya Pradesh

Bhoj Wetland-

consists of two lakes located in the city of Bhopal, the capital of the

central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The two lakes are the Bhojtal and the Lower Lake, which lie to the west of the city center.

drains a catchment or watershed of 361 km.

The watershed of the Bhojtal is mostly rural, with some urbanized areas around its eastern end.

The Bhojtal was created by Paramara Raja Bhoj (1005-1055), ruler of Malwa.

He established Bhopal (also named after him) to secure the eastern frontier of his kingdom.

The lake was created by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River.

The Kolans was formerly a tributary of the Halali River; with the creation of the Bhojtal and a

diversion channel, the upper reach of the Kolans River and the Bhojtal now drain into the

Kaliasot River.

Bhadbhada dam was constructed in 1965 at the southeast corner of the Bhojtal; it now controls

the outflow to the Kaliasot river.

The Lower Lake was created in 1794 by Nawab Chhote Khan, Minister of Nawab Hayath

Mohammad Khan, to beautify the city.

It is also contained behind an earthen dam, and drains into the Halali River via the lower reach of

the Kolans River, presently known as the Patra Drain.

Both the Kaliasot and Halali Rivers are tributaries of the Betwa River.

They have been designated a wetland of international importance under the international Ramsar

Convention.

L. Tamil Nadu

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary-

a low headland on the Coromandel Coast, in the Nagapattinamdistrict of the state of Tamil

Nadu, India.

HCLPencil

RAJESH NAYAK

the apex of the Cauvery River delta, and marks a nearly right-angle turn in the coastline. A

historic landmark here was the Chola lighthouse, destroyed in the tsunami of 2004.

The forests of Point Calimere, also known the Vedaranyam forests, are one of the last remnants

of the dry evergreen forests that were once typical of the East Deccan dry evergreen forests

ecoregion.

The sanctuary includes the cape and its three natural habitat types: dry evergreen

forests,mangrove forests, and wetlands.

In 1988, the sanctuary was enlarged to include the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and the

Talaignayar Reserve Forest, and renamed the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary.

Point Calimere is home to the endangered endemic Indian blackbuck and is one of the few

known wintering locations of the spoon-billed sandpiper.

It also holds large wintering populations of greater flamingos in India.

The area is dotted with salt pans and these hold large crustacean populations that support the

wintering bird life.

Cultural Heritage: Several sites of religious, historical or cultural importance are located within the

sanctuary:

Ramar Padam-Sri Rams Pado Chinna

Navakodi Sitthar Aalayam is a temple in south of the Kodiakkarai village.

the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Parvathy

Chola Emperor and Mannar Sarafoji were visited this temple.

Modi Mandapam is a shrine located near Ramar Padam where people of all castes worship.

Avulaiganni Dargah is the grave of a Muslim saint located near the road by Ramar Padam.

Chola Lighthouse is the remains of a brick and mortar lighthouse near Point Calimere said to

have been built by theCholas more than a thousand years ago. This structure was badly damaged

by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami but can still be seen in the intertidal zone near the British

lighthouse.

British Lighthouse is a 13-metre (43 ft) tall operating lighthouse built by the British at the tip of

Point Calemere in 1890 and can be seen 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi) at sea.[4]

Kodiakkarai Lighthouse is a 45-metre (148 ft) tall modern aid to navigation located near

Kodiakkarai Beach and is not accessible to the public. This dominates the sanctuary and may be

seen by seamen far at sea.

M. Tripura

Rudrasagar Lake

also known as Rudijala, is a lake located in Melaghar, Tripura, India.

The Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forest has identified Rudrasagar as one

of the wetlands of National Importance for conservation and sustainable use based on its bio-

diversity and socio economic importance.

RAJESH NAYAK

Secretary General, convention on wetlands, Ramsar site has declared Rudrasagar Lake as

wetland of international importance and it has been included in the list of wetlands of

International Importance.

A palace known as Neermahal (Water Palace) is situated near the north-east bank of the lake.

It constructed by the then Tripura king Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur in

between 19351938 as summer resort.

N. Uttar Pradesh

Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch)-

A shallow river stretch of the great Ganges with intermittent small stretches of deep-water pools

and reservoirs upstream from barrages.

The river provides habitat for IUCN Red listed Ganges River Dolphin, Gharial, Crocodile, 6

species of turtles, otters, 82 species of fish and more than hundred species of birds.

Major plant species, some of which have high medicinal values, include Dalbergia sissoo, Saraca

indica, Eucalyptus globulus, Ficus bengalensis, Dendrocalamus strictus, Tectona grandis,

Azadirachta indica and aquatic Eichhorina.

This river stretch has high Hindu religious importance for thousands of pilgrims and is used for

cremation and holy baths for spiritual purification.

Major threats are sewage discharge, agricultural runoff, and intensive fishing.

Conservation activities carried out are plantation to prevent bank erosion, training on organic

farming, and lobbying to ban commercial fishing.

O. West Bengal

East Kolkata Wetlands-

also known as the East Kolkata Wetlands are a complex of natural and human

made wetlands lying east of the city of Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal in India.

designated a "wetland of international importance" under the Ramsar Convention on August 19,

2002.

Numerous species of fish are farmed in the sewage fed ponds called bheris in the East Kolkata

wetlands. These include silver carp, tilapia,

The area is also home to marsh mongoose and small Indian mongoose. Palm Civet and Small

Indian Civet are significant in and around East Calcutta Wetlands.

Snakes found in the East Calcutta Wetland include Checkered keel back (Xenochrophis piscator),

Smooth water snake (Enhydris enhydris), Buff striped keel back (Amphiesma stolata), and

Bronze back tree snake (Tendrelaphis pristis)

a mammalian species, called Salt Lake Marsh Mongoose.

Microbial Diversity is an integral part of biodiversity which includes bacteria, archaea, fungi,

algae, protozoa and protists.