New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has added 10 more wetlands including Odisha’s Satkosia Gorge designated as Ramsar sites to make total 64 sites covering an area of 12,50,361 ha in the country.
Satkosia spreads along the magnificent gorge over the mighty river Mahanadi in Odisha. Established in 1976 as a wildlife sanctuary, Satkosia supports a rich ecosystem, representing a diverse population of floral and faunal species.
Satkosia is the meeting point of two biogeographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity. Satkosia Gorge wetland is a mosaic of marshes and evergreen forests. The forests of these catchments play a vital role in the prevention of the gorge siltation. It also helps in maintaining a specific desirable depth of water crucial for the endangered gharial population and spawning of commercially important carps species.
The other nine new sites include: Six (6) sites in Tamil Nadu and One (1) each in Goa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
Designation of these sites would help in conservation and management of wetlands and wise use of their resources. Now, India stands at first position jointly with China, the Ministry said.
India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. India signed it on 1st Feb 1982. So far 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 ha have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance from India, till date, it added.