Tamil Nadu gets two more Ramsar sites
The Sanctuary lies in the Central Asian Flyway and is an important breeding and foraging ground for water bird species. The wetland also helps in irrigation and recharge of the ground water of the area, the release added.
The Longwood Shola Reserve Forest in The Nilgiris
CHENNAI: In a boost to the efforts of Tamil Nadu Government in conserving wetlands, Ramsar Convention has certified Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest as new Ramsar sites in the state on Wednesday. With this, the number of Ramsar sites in Tamil Nadu has reached 16, which is the highest in the country.
According to a release, the government's proposals to declare Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest as Ramsar sites have been accepted by MOEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) and the Ramsar sites Secretariat and these sites have been designated as Ramsar sites, the release said.
The newly declared Karaivetti bird sanctuary is located in Ariyalur District and covers an area of 453.7 hectares. The wetland is one of the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of Tamil Nadu. The site acts as home for more than 500 species of flora and fauna.
The Sanctuary lies in the Central Asian Flyway and is an important breeding and foraging ground for water bird species. The wetland also helps in irrigation and recharge of the ground water of the area, the release added.
On the other hand, Longwood Shola Reserve Forest is located in the Nilgiris District and covers an area of 116.007 hectares. "The site is one of the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of Tamil Nadu. The site acts as home for more than 700 species of flora and fauna. Out of 177 bird species found in the site 14 species are endemic to the Western Ghats. The area is rich in herpetofauna diversity of which several species are endemic to the Western Ghats and are also considered as threatened species by IUCN. The Longwood shola is an integral part of the very fragile Nilgiris eco-system. This sylvan retreat is a major water source for Kotagiri by supplying water to 18 villages downstream."
In 2022 alone, the government obtained Ramsar recognition for 13 wetlands. Earlier, the state had single Ramsar sites, such as Point Calimere.
In a Tweet, Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed that the recognition is a great testament to his Dravidian Model government's efforts in environmental conservation.
Along with Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, Aghanashini Estuary and Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve in Karnataka have been announced as Ramsar sites.