“Saving Wetlands, Securing Future: Ramsar Sites of India”

“Saving Wetlands, Securing Future: Ramsar Sites of India”

🌍 Ramsar Sites: Key Facts You Should Know

📅 Why February 2?

  • February 2 is celebrated as International Wetlands Day – the day the Ramsar Convention was signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971.

🇮🇳 India & the Ramsar Convention

  • India is one of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention.

  • India became a signatory in 1982.

  • From 1982 to 2013, India added 26 Ramsar sites.

  • From 2014 to 2024, 59 new wetlands were added.

  • As of 2025 Aug, India has a total of 91 Ramsar sites.

📊 Top States by Number of Ramsar Sites

  • Tamil Nadu – 20 sites (Highest)

  • Uttar Pradesh – 10 sites

  • Goa – 1 site (Lowest)

🗺️ India’s Wetland Coverage

  • Ramsar wetlands cover about 10% of India’s total wetland area.

  • Wetlands are present in 18 States.

  • Gujarat has the maximum wetland area, followed by:

    • Andhra Pradesh

    • Uttar Pradesh

    • West Bengal

  • According to the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (ISRO), India has:

    • 1,52,600 sq. km. of wetlands

    • This equals 4.63% of India’s total geographical area.

    • India hosts 19 different types of wetlands.

    • Over two-fifths are inland natural wetlands.

    • Around one-fourth are coastal wetlands.

🌏 Global Ramsar Site Rankings (by Number of Sites)

CountryRamsar Sites
🇬🇧 United Kingdom175 (Highest in the world)
🇲🇽 Mexico144
🇮🇳 India91
🇨🇳 China82

  • Bolivia has the largest Ramsar-covered area: 1,48,000 sq. km.

🌊 Important Records

  • Loktak Lake (Manipur) was added to the Montreux Record in 1993 due to ecological degradation.

  • The world's first Ramsar Site: Cobourg Peninsula, Australia (1974).

  • S.N.NameLocationDesignatedArea (km2)Description
    1Kolleru LakeAndhra Pradesh19 August 2002901
    2Deepor BeelAssam19 August 200240
    3Kanwar Taal or Kabar Taal LakeBihar21 July 202026.2Also known as Kanwar Jheel, it covers 2,620 hectares of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This absorption of floodwaters is a vital service in Bihar where 70% of the land is vulnerable to inundation. During the dry season, areas of marshland dry out and are used for agriculture. 
    4Nanda LakeGoa8 June 20220.42 Nanda Lake comprises intermittent freshwater marshes that lie adjacent to one of the major tributaries of the Zuari river.
    5Thol LakeGujarat5 April 20216.99
    6Wadhvana WetlandGujarat5 April 20216.3
    7Khijadiya Bird SanctuaryGujarat13 April 20215.12
    8Nalsarovar Bird SanctuaryGujarat24 September 2012120
    9Sultanpur National ParkHaryana25 May 20211.43 About one hundred species of birds and Siberia countries for reproduction every year in this huge natural lake spread over about 265 acres of land.
    10Bhindawas Wildlife SanctuaryHaryana25 May 20214.11It is a human-made freshwater wetland, located in Jhajjar district, Haryana. It is the largest wetland in Haryana. 
    11Pong Dam LakeHimachal Pradesh19 August 2002156.62
    12Chandra TaalHimachal Pradesh
    		8 November 20050.49
    13Renuka LakeHimachal Pradesh8 November 20050.2Smallest Wetland 
    14Ashtamudi WetlandKerala
    		18 August 200261.4A natural backwater in Kollam district, Kerala. The rivers Kallada and Pallichal drain into it. It forms an estuary with the sea at Neendakara which is a famous fishing harbour. National Waterway 3 passes through it. The tastiest backwater fish in Kerala, the karimeen of Kanjiracode Kayal is from Ashtamudi Lake.
    15Loktak LakeManipur23 March 1990266Loktak Lake in Manipur, India was added to the Montreux Record in 1993 due to the degradation of its ecosystem:
    The largest freshwater lake in the north-eastern region of the country .  Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world, floats over it
    16East Kolkata WetlandsWest Bengal19 August 2002125
    17Nandur MadhameshwarMaharashtra21 June 201914
    18Nangal Wildlife SanctuaryPunjab26 September 20191.16
    19Nawabganj Bird SanctuaryUttar Pradesh19 September 20192.25
    20Parvati Arga Bird SanctuaryUttar Pradesh2 December 20197.22
    21Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu19 August 2002385It is associated with Lord Rama.
    22Keshopur-Miani Community ReservePunjab26 September 20193.44
    23Keoladeo National ParkRajasthan1 October 198128.73It became the first Ramsar site along with Chilka Lake
    24Ropar WetlandPunjab22 January 200213.65A humanmade wetland of lake and river formed by the 1952 construction of a barrage for diversion of water from the Sutlej River for drinking and irrigation.
    25Rudrasagar LakeTripura8 November 20052.4A lowland sedimentation reservoir in the northeast hills, fed by three perennial streams discharging to the Gumti River. 
    26Saman Bird SanctuaryUttar Pradesh2 December 20195.26
    27Samaspur Bird SanctuaryUttar Pradesh3 October 20198
    28Sambhar LakeRajasthan23 March 1990240India's largest inland salt lake
    29Sandi Bird SanctuaryUttar Pradesh26 September 20193
    30Sarsai Nawar JheelUttar Pradesh19 September 20191.61
    31Sasthamkotta LakeKerala19 August 20023.73Situated in Kollam district, it is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala.
    32Haiderpur WetlandUttar Pradesh13 April 202169.08This human-made wetland was formed in 1984 by the construction of the Madhya Ganga Barrage on a floodplain of the River Ganga. It is located within the boundaries of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
    33Sundarban WetlandWest Bengal30 January 20194230Located within the largest mangrove forest in the world. The Indian Sundarban, covering the south-westernmost part of the delta, constitutes over 60% of the country's total mangrove forest and includes 90% of Indian mangrove species. 
    34Surinsar-Mansar LakesJammu and Kashmir8 November 20053.5A freshwater composite lake in semi-arid Jammu Region, adjoining the Jhelum Basin with the catchment of sandy conglomeratic soil, boulders, and pebbles. 
    35TsomoririLadakh19 August 2002120A freshwater to brackish lake 
    36Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch)Uttar Pradesh8 November 2005265.9
    37Vembanad-Kol WetlandKerala19 August 2002[19]1512.5It is the largest lake of Kerala
    38Wular LakeJammu and Kashmir23 March 1990189The largest freshwater lake in India 
    39Asan BarrageUttarakhand21 July 20204.44Asan River running down to its confluence with the Yamuna River in Dehradun district.
    40Bhitarkanika MangrovesOdisha
    		19 August 2002650In 1975, an area of 672 km2 was declared the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. 
    41Sur SarovarUttar Pradesh21 August 20204.31Also known as Keetham Lake, it was originally created to supply water to the city of Agra in the summer, the wetland soon became an important and rich ecosystem. 
    42Lonar LakeMaharashtra22 July 20204.27
    43Tso KarLadakh17 November 202095.77
    44Hokera WetlandJammu and Kashmir8 November 200513.75
    45Kanjli WetlandPunjab22 January 20021.83A permanent stream, the Kali Bein, converted by construction of a small barrage in 1870 into a water storage area for irrigation purposes. As it is associated with the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak.
    46Chilika LakeOdisha1 October 19811165- A brackish water lagoon, spread over the districts of Puri, Khordha and Ganjam 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. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world.
    - 1st Ramsar Site
    47Beas Conservation ReservePunjab
    		26 September 201964
    48Bakhira SanctuaryUttar Pradesh29 June 202128.94It is the largest natural flood plain wetland of India in Sant Kabir Nagar district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. 
    49Harike WetlandPunjab23 March 199041A shallow water reservoir with thirteen islands, at the confluence of two rivers. 
    50Karikili Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 April 20220.58
    51Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve ForestTamil Nadu8 April 202212.48Pallikaranai wetland is a freshwater marsh located in Chennai
    52Pichavaram Mangrove ForestTamil Nadu8 April 202214.79
    53Pala WetlandMizoram31 August 202118.5The Pala wetland is the largest natural wetland in Mizoram. 
    54Sakhya SagarMadhya Pradesh7 January 20222.48Sakhya Sagar Lake is an integral part of the beautiful ecology of the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.
    55Satkosia GorgeOdisha12 October 2021982Satkosia Gorge is located in Angul district of Odisha carved out of Mahanadi river. The gorge is located within the Satkosia Tiger Reserve which is a United nations Protected area
    56Bhoj WetlandMadhya Pradesh
    		19 August 200232It consists of two lakes located in the city of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. The two lakes are the Bhojtal (Upper Lake) and the Lower Lake, which lie to the west of the city centre. It is a man-made reservoir. 
    57Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere ReserveTamil Nadu8 April 2022527
    58Ranganathittu Bird SanctuaryKarnataka15 February 20225.18Ranganathittu is located in Mandya district of Karnataka. It is an ecologically important riverine wetland, rich in plant and animal species such as mugger crocodile, hump-backed mahseer, painted stork, spot-billed pelican and black-headed ibis.
    59Vembannur Wetland ComplexTamil Nadu8 April 20220.2Vembannur Wetland Complex is a man-made inland tank which forms the southernmost tip of peninsular India. It is located 4 km from Rajakkamangalam in Tamil Nadu. it provides suitable habitat to several species of waterbirds.
    60Vellode Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 April 20220.77Vellode Bird Sanctuary is located in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. It is a man-made tank which is an ideal habitat for birds.
    61Udhayamarthandapuram Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 April 20220.44
    62Vedanthangal Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 April 20220.4Vedanthangal is located in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu. It is the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country.
    63Sirpur LakeMadhya Pradesh7 January 20221.61The site is located in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh. It is a man-made wetland that supports terrestrial plants species, macrophytes, fish, reptiles, amphibians and waterbirds.
    64Koonthankulam Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 November 20210.72Koonthankulam is located in Thirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. The Site consists of irrigation tanks interconnected by a network of canals.
    65Tampara LakeOdisha12 October 20213
    66Hirakud ReservoirOdisha12 October 2021743Hirakund Reservoir is located behind the Hirakund Dam in Odisha. It's shoreline runs close to Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
    67Ansupa LakeOdisha12 October 20212.31
    68Yashwant SagarMadhya Pradesh7 January 20228.229
    69Chitrangudi Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 November 20212.6047
    70Suchindram Theroor Wetland ComplexTamil Nadu8 April 20220.9423
    71Vaduvur Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 April 20221.1264
    72Kanjirankulam Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu8 April 20220.9689
    73Thane CreekMaharashtra13 April 202265.2108
    74Hygam Wetland Conservation ReserveJammu and Kashmir8 June 20228.0182
    75Shallabugh Wetland Conservation ReserveJammu and Kashmir8 June 202216.75
    76Ankasamudra Bird Conservation ReserveKarnataka10 March 20230.9876Human-made Village Irrigation Tank was built centuries back.Home to Painted Stork and Black-headed Ibis.
    77Aghanashini EstuaryKarnataka14 February 202348.01Formed at the confluence of the Aghanashini River with Arabian sea.
    78Magadi Kere Conservation ReserveKarnataka14 February 20230.5438Bar-headed goose winter here.
    79Karaivetti Bird sanctuaryTamil Nadu24 May 20234.5372Home to Pin-tailed duck, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Eurasian Wigeon, Common teal and Cotton teal
    80Longwood Shola Reserve ForestTamil Nadu24 May 20231.16007Serve as habitats for Black-chinned Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Nilgiri Blue Robin and vulnerable Nilgiri Wood-pigeon.
    81Nagi Bird SanctuaryBihar11 October 2023

    82Nakti Bird SanctuaryBihar11 October 2023

    83Tawa ReservoirMadhya Pradesh8 January 2024

    84Nanjarayan Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu16 January 2024

    85Kazhuveli Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu16 January 2024

    86Sakkarakottai Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu2 February 2025

    87Therthangal Bird SanctuaryTamil Nadu2 February 2025

    88Khecheopalli LakeSikkim2 February 202512
    89Udhwa LakeJharkhand2 February 2025

    90KhichanRajasthan4 June 2025
    		Known for migratory demoiselle craneslocally known as Kurja.
    91MenarRajasthan4 June 2025
    		Known for migratory Greater Flamingo and large population of Peacocks.


    Updated By 31 July 2025 , 10:15:20 AM IST