India Gets 99th Ramsar Site as Shekha Jheel Wins Global Tag

Uttar Pradesh wetland joins the global Ramsar list as India pushes biodiversity conservation and ecological protection

New Delhi, April 25:

India’s growing wetland conservation network has reached a new milestone.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has officially designated Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, as a Ramsar Site—making it the country’s 99th wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The recognition places India one step closer to the symbolic milestone of 100 Ramsar sites and reinforces the government’s larger biodiversity conservation push.

For environmentalists, this is more than just another number.

It is recognition of a fragile ecosystem that supports migratory birds, local biodiversity, and freshwater balance in one of North India’s rapidly changing ecological zones.

Shekha Jheel is a 25-hectare freshwater perennial wetland, formed in 1852 following the construction of the Upper Ganga Canal, which divided the lake into two parts. Over the decades, it has evolved into a crucial wintering habitat for birds and a significant biodiversity pocket inside an increasingly pressured landscape.

Officials say the wetland supports more than 166 species of water birds, including prominent species such as the painted stork and the bar-headed goose. Mammals such as blackbuck, a Schedule I protected species, and blue bull are also found in the surrounding ecosystem.

That ecological diversity is exactly why the Ramsar tag matters.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Countries nominate wetlands that hold major ecological value, especially those supporting biodiversity, water systems, and migratory species. Once listed, these wetlands receive stronger conservation attention and international recognition.

For India, wetlands are not just environmental assets—they are economic and social lifelines.

They support fisheries, groundwater recharge, agriculture, flood control, bird migration, and local climate stability. In states like West Bengal, where wetlands shape both urban planning and rural livelihoods, the Ramsar conversation feels especially relevant.

From East Kolkata Wetlands to coastal ecosystems near Haldia, the link between ecology and economy is visible every day.

That is why national wetland policy often carries local meaning.

But Shekha Jheel also comes with warnings.

Environmental reports note that the sanctuary faces multiple threats, including siltation, shrinking forest cover, invasive species such as water hyacinth, and increased poaching vulnerabilities linked to nearby road development. Aggressive water chestnut farming has also reduced open foraging space for migratory birds.

Unchecked water hyacinth growth is causing severe eutrophication—where excessive plant growth reduces oxygen levels and damages the wetland’s natural balance. Conservationists say without sustained intervention, formal recognition alone will not protect the ecosystem.

“Ramsar status is not the finish line. It is the starting point,” said a wetland policy expert in Kolkata. “Protection requires management, funding, local participation, and long-term enforcement.”

That concern applies across India.

Several Ramsar sites continue to face pressure from urbanisation, encroachment, pollution, and tourism mismanagement. Environmentalists often warn that designation must be followed by real monitoring, not just celebratory announcements.

Still, the recognition matters politically and symbolically.

India has aggressively expanded its Ramsar network in recent years as part of broader environmental diplomacy and climate commitments. The country has increasingly used biodiversity milestones to strengthen its global sustainability image while balancing development and conservation pressures.

Uttar Pradesh now has 12 Ramsar sites, further strengthening its wetland map and reinforcing the state’s ecological importance beyond conventional political headlines.

For students preparing for UPSC, SSC, and state exams, the announcement has already entered the current affairs cycle. For bird watchers and environmental groups, it is a reminder that smaller wetlands often carry the greatest ecological weight.

And for ordinary citizens, it raises a simple but urgent question:

How much of nature do we notice only after it is officially declared important?

Bird sanctuaries are often treated like distant green spaces—useful, beautiful, but separate from urban life.

In reality, wetlands quietly protect cities from flooding, recharge groundwater, regulate temperatures, and support food systems long before most people realize their value.

That makes stories like Shekha Jheel national news, not niche environmental updates.

India now stands at 99 Ramsar sites.

The next milestone—100—will bring headlines.

But the real success will depend on whether these wetlands survive beyond the headlines.

Because conservation is not measured by declarations.

It is measured by whether the birds return next winter.