Reference:

• Just before World Wetlands Day 2026 (2 February), Patna Bird Sanctuary located in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh and Chhari-Dhand located in Kutch district of Gujarat were included in India’s Ramsar network, taking the total number of Ramsar Sites in India to 98.

Patna Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh):

• Patna Vihar Bird Sanctuary is a protected sanctuary located in the Jalesar subdivision of Etah district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Patna Vihar Bird Sanctuary is a protected sanctuary located in the Jalesar subdivision of Etah district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Established: It was established in 1991.
• It is the smallest bird sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, with a wetland area of only 1 sq km.
• The sanctuary includes freshwater marshes, woodland, and grasslands.
• An ancient and famous Lord Shiva temple (Ichchheshwar Mahadev Temple) is also located within the sanctuary, which is a major attraction for devotees and tourists.
• This sanctuary is the 11th Ramsar Site of Uttar Pradesh.

Chhari-Dhand (Gujarat):

• It is located on the edge of the Banni grasslands in Nakhatrana taluka of Kutch district.
• In the Sindhi language, ‘Chhari’ means saline and ‘Dhand’ means shallow lake.
• It has become Gujarat’s 5th Ramsar Site and Kutch’s first wetland of international importance.
• Area: It spreads over approximately 80 to 227 sq km (the extent varies depending on the monsoon) and is Gujarat’s first Conservation Reserve.
• Birds: More than 370 species of birds are found here. During winter, over 30,000 Common Cranes and thousands of flamingos, pelicans, and various raptors visit the wetland.
• Wildlife: Apart from birds, animals such as chinkara, wolf, caracal, desert cat, and desert fox are also found here.

Ramsar Sites

• Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance identified for conservation.
• They are named after Ramsar city in Iran, where the Ramsar Convention was signed.

Ramsar Convention:

• Signed: 2 February 1971 at Ramsar, Iran
• (World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February)
• Came into force: 1975
• The list of Ramsar Sites is maintained by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, located at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.
• India adopted the convention: 1982
• First Ramsar Sites of India:

– Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)

– Chilika Lake (Odisha) in 1981

• State with the highest number of Ramsar Sites: Tamil Nadu (20 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (11 sites).
• Largest Ramsar Site in India: Sundarbans, West Bengal

List of Ramsar Sites in India: