BharatNotes India is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands, 1971). As of February 2026, India has 99 Ramsar sites covering approximately 13,60,805 hectares — the highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia and 3rd globally (after UK and Mexico). Tamil Nadu has the most Ramsar sites among Indian states (20). Since 2014, 67+ new Ramsar sites have been added. UPSC tests site locations, the waterbodies associated with them, their flagship species, and recent additions (which appear regularly as current affairs questions).
2025–26 additions in order: Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary & Therthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) + Khecheopalri Wetland (Sikkim) + Udhwa Lake (Jharkhand) — all four on World Wetlands Day, February 2, 2025 (tally → 89); Khichan (Rajasthan, Phalodi) + Menar (Rajasthan, Udaipur) on World Environment Day, June 4, 2025 (→ 91); Gokul Jalashay (Bihar, Buxar) + Udaipur Jheel (Bihar, West Champaran), September 2025 (→ 93); Gogabeel Lake (Bihar, Katihar), October 30, 2025 (94th); Siliserh Lake (Rajasthan, Alwar) + Kopra Jalashay (Chhattisgarh, near Bilaspur), December 2025 (→ 96); Patna Bird Sanctuary (UP, Etah) + Chhari-Dhand (Gujarat, Kutch), February 2, 2026 (→ 98).
Key / Frequently Tested Ramsar Sites (UPSC Focus)
| Ramsar Site | State | Area (ha) | Why Important / UPSC Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilika Lake | Odisha | 1,10,000 | Largest coastal lagoon in India; largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl on Indian subcontinent; Irrawaddy Dolphin; Nalabana Island (bird sanctuary within it) |
| Keoladeo Ghana (Bharatpur) | Rajasthan | 2,873 | UNESCO World Heritage Site; formerly wintered Siberian Cranes; 364+ bird species; man-made wetland (Maharaja of Bharatpur era) |
| Wular Lake | J&K | 18,900 | Largest freshwater lake in India; Jhelum flows through it; critical for Kashmir ecosystem |
| Surinsar-Mansar Lakes | J&K | 350 | Twin lakes; pilgrimage significance; Mansar Lake (Nag deity) |
| Loktak Lake | Manipur | 26,600 | Largest freshwater lake in NE India; phumdis (floating biomass); Keibul Lamjao NP within it |
| Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh | 90,100 | Largest freshwater lake in South India; between Godavari and Krishna deltas; Grey Pelican, Painted Stork |
| Bhitarkanika Mangroves | Odisha | 65,000 | 2nd largest mangrove in India; Saltwater Crocodile (largest population in India); Olive Ridley Sea Turtle mass nesting (Gahirmatha beach) |
| Point Calimere (Kodikkarai) | Tamil Nadu | 38,500 | Blackbuck, Flamingo (largest congregation in India) |
| Pulicat Lake | Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh | 16,000 | 2nd largest brackish water lake in India; trans-boundary; Greater Flamingo breeding |
| Vembanad Lake | Kerala | 1,51,250 | Second largest Ramsar site in India (largest is Sundarbans at ~4,23,000 ha); Kuttanad (below sea-level agriculture); Kumarakom and Pathiramanal bird sanctuary; backwaters |
| Ashtamudi Lake | Kerala | 6,140 | Cashew-shaped; gateway to Lakshadweep Sea; backwaters tourism |
| Deepor Beel | Assam | 4,000 | Gauhati's lung; Greater Adjutant Stork; last remaining beel in Brahmaputra valley near Guwahati |
| Rudrasagar Lake | Tripura | 2,400 | Neermahal (water palace) on it; migratory birds |
| Harike Wetland | Punjab | 4,100 | Confluence of Sutlej and Beas; wintering birds; Harike Bird Sanctuary |
| Kanjli Wetland | Punjab | 183 | — |
| Ropar Wetland | Punjab | 1,365 | Sutlej River; birds |
| Nalsarovar | Gujarat | 12,000 | Large seasonal lake; Flamingo, Pelican; last vestige of Dhal lake |
| Thol Lake | Gujarat | 699 | Near Ahmedabad; 320+ bird species; Flamingo |
| Wadhvana | Gujarat | 1,609 | Near Vadodara; wintering waterfowl; migratory waders |
| Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | 22,750 | Largest inland saltwater lake in India; Flamingo mass gathering; common salt production |
| Pong Dam Lake | HP | 30,000 | Important wintering ground for Bar-headed Goose, Common Crane; Beas River; Ramsar 2002 |
| Renuka Lake | Himachal Pradesh | 20 | Smallest Ramsar site in India (by area); religious importance; Renuka Ji fair |
| Tsomgo (Changu) Lake | Sikkim | 78 | High-altitude glacial lake; near Nathu La; Bar-headed Goose |
| Lonar Lake | Maharashtra | 1,023 | Only hyper-saline soda ash lake of meteoric (meteorite crater) origin in India; unique microbial diversity |
| Nandur Madhmeshwar | Maharashtra | 1,437 | Godavari tributary; heron and stork breeding colony |
| Asan Wetland | Uttarakhand | 444 | Confluence of Asan and Yamuna rivers; migratory waterfowl |
| Sur Sarovar (Keetham Lake) | Uttar Pradesh | 431 | Near Agra; Sarus Crane, migratory ducks |
| Bakhira WLS | Uttar Pradesh | 2,902 | Large waterfowl wintering |
| Nawabganj | Uttar Pradesh | 224 | — |
| Karikili Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | 61 | Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork; nesting colony |
| Pallikaranai Marsh | Tamil Nadu | 127 | Chennai's only surviving wetland; coastal marsh; under urban pressure |
| Pichavaram | Tamil Nadu | 1,486 | One of the largest mangrove forests in India; between two estuaries; Cuddalore |
| Vedanthangal | Tamil Nadu | 74 | Oldest bird sanctuary in India (1858); Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork |
| Bhoj Wetland | Madhya Pradesh | 3,201 | Bhopal Lakes (Upper and Lower); historical dams; migratory birds; drinking water for Bhopal |
| Sirpur Lake | Madhya Pradesh | 161 | Near Indore; migratory birds |
2025–26 New Additions (UPSC Current Affairs — High Priority)
| Ramsar Site | State | Serial No. | Date Designated | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | 86th | Feb 2, 2025 | Ramanathapuram district; 230 ha; Central Asian Flyway; breeding waterbirds |
| Therthangal Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | 87th | Feb 2, 2025 | Ramanathapuram district; Central Asian Flyway; Tamil Nadu's 19th & 20th Ramsar sites together with Sakkarakottai |
| Khecheopalri Wetland | Sikkim | 88th | Feb 2, 2025 | West Sikkim; altitude 1,700 m; Sikkim's first Ramsar site; sacred lake |
| Udhwa Lake | Jharkhand | 89th | Feb 2, 2025 | Sahibganj district; Ganga floodplain; two interconnected water bodies (Patauda & Berhale); Jharkhand's first Ramsar site |
| Khichan | Rajasthan | 90th | Jun 4, 2025 | Phalodi, Jodhpur division; famous for Demoiselle Crane (Kurja) winter congregation |
| Menar | Rajasthan | 91st | Jun 4, 2025 | Udaipur district; important for migratory waterbirds; designated on World Environment Day |
| Gokul Jalashay | Bihar | 92nd | Sep 2025 | Buxar district |
| Udaipur Jheel | Bihar | 93rd | Sep 2025 | West Champaran district |
| Gogabeel Lake | Bihar | 94th | Oct 30, 2025 | Katihar district; ox-bow lake on Ganga-Mahananda confluence; Common Pochard (vulnerable); Bihar's first Community Reserve (2019) |
| Siliserh Lake | Rajasthan | 95th | Dec 2025 | Alwar district |
| Kopra Jalashay | Chhattisgarh | 96th | Dec 2025 | Near Bilaspur |
| Patna Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | 97th | Feb 2, 2026 | Etah district; designated on World Wetlands Day 2026 |
| Chhari-Dhand | Gujarat | 98th | Feb 2, 2026 | Kutch district; designated on World Wetlands Day 2026 |
Note: The "Key / Frequently Tested" table above covers a curated selection of historically important sites. India's total currently stands at 99 sites (April 2026). For the complete official list, refer to moef.gov.in or indianwetlands.in.
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