UP gets its 12th Ramsar site as Aligarh’s Shekha Jheel earns global tag

Lucknow: The Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Aligarh district has been designated as a new Ramsar site.It is the country’s 99th and Uttar Pradesh’s 12th Ramsar site.A Ramsar site is a wetland designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (1971), an intergovt treaty for conservation and sustainable use.The announcement was made by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who said the recognition marks another major step in India’s wetland conservation journey.“Shekha Jheel acts as a crucial stopover on the Central Asian Flyway, providing a vital habitat for migratory birds such as the Bar-headed Goose, Painted Stork and various ducks during the winter season,” Bhupender Yadav posted on X.UP’s minister of state for environment, forest and climate change (independent charge), UP, Arun Kumar Saxena, credited chief minister Yogi Adityanath for the feat.“It will promote tourism in the region and create employment for people at the local level,” he said.With 12 sites, UP is the second state, after Tamil Nadu, to have the maximum Ramsar wetlands. Tamil Nadu has around 20.The combined area of all the Ramsar sites within the state is 39,914.27 hectares, which constitutes approximately 3.21% of the state’s total wetland area of 1,242,530 hectares, as per the National Wetland Atlas.

“The conservation of wetlands is of paramount importance for biodiversity, water resources and ecological balance,” said UP forest minister, adding that the State Wetland Authority has initiated a process to prepare Ramsar Information Sheets (RIS) for the state’s significant wetlands, with the aim of designating them as wetlands of international importance.It was part of this ongoing effort that the Ramsar Secretariat officially notified Shekha Bird Sanctuary as a Ramsar site on April 21.“This initiative for wetland conservation will not only reinforce preservation of biodiversity but also play a pivotal role in safeguarding migratory birds, ensuring water security, maintaining ecological balance and empowering livelihoods of local communities,” said the minister.In Feb, Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah was notified as a Ramsar site. Haiderpur wetland in Muzaffarnagar, Bakhira Bird Sanctuary in Sant Kabir Nagar, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary in Unnao, Parvati Aranga in Gonda, Saman in Mainpuri, Samaspur in Rae Bareli, Sandi in Hardoi, Sarsai Nawar in Etawah, Keetham Lake in Sur Sarovar Sanctuary in Agra, and Upper Ganga River (the stretch from Brigghat to Narora) are other Ramsar sites of UP.