Aligarh’s Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary gets global label, taking number of protected wetlands in India to 99

New Delhi: The Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh has been awarded the Ramsar International label, taking the total number of such protected wetlands in India to 99 and the total number of wetlands in the state to 12.There are nearly 2,594 such designated wetlands worldwide under the 1971 Ramsar Convention. India has the largest number of such wetlands in Asia and ranks third in the world after the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144).“This partially man-made wetland complex, consisting of the Shekha Jheel Lake and surrounding deciduous forest, was formed in the 1850s following the construction of the upper Ganges canal through the site,” the Convention Secretariat said on its website.Highlighting the ecological importance of the site, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said: “Shekha Jheel is an important stopover on the Central Asian flyway and provides critical winter habitat for migratory birds such as bar-headed geese, painted storks and various ducks.” He also appealed to people to visit the site through a post on X.Due to its importance to bird conservation, the site has been designated an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. It also supports other water-dependent species, such as three threatened sea turtle species: the Black Pool turtle, the Indian flap turtle and the Gangetic turtle. The number of Indian wetlands on the Ramsar Convention’s global list has increased from 26 to 99 in the past 11 years, with 57 new sites added in the past four years.Wetlands are areas of land that are temporarily/seasonally or permanently covered by water. These are important ecosystems that play an important role in supporting biodiversity and providing various ecosystem services such as flood protection, water supply, food, fiber and raw materials.Adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, the Convention provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands among 172 member countries, including India.