2 more sites in TN make it to Ramsar list; tally now highest in country

Chief Minister M K Stalin posted on X that he is extremely delighted with the addition of the two new sites to the Ramsar list and added that this a great testament to the state government’s relentless efforts in conservation of the environment.

By: Express Web Desk

Chennai | Updated: February 6, 2024 08:12 AM IST

3 min read

The wetland at Ariyalur is one of the important bird and biodiversity areas of Tamil Nadu and acts as home for more than 500 species of flora and fauna.

Longwood Shola in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris and Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary in the Ariyalur district have become the latest additions to the list of Ramsar sites in the state, taking the total to 16, the highest in the country.

Chief Minister M K Stalin posted on X that he is extremely delighted with the addition of the two new sites and added that this a great testament to the state government’s relentless efforts in conservation of the environment.

According to Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate and Forest, the state government had sent proposals for two more sites to be declared Ramsar sites and they were accepted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ramsar Secretariat on January 31.

As per the statement issued by the state government, the newly declared Karaivetti bird sanctuary, located in Ariyalur, covers an area of 453.7 ha and the Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, in the Nilgiris covers an area of 116.007 ha.

The wetland at Ariyalur is one of the important bird and biodiversity areas of Tamil Nadu and 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 statement released by the Tamil Nadu government read.

Similarly, the site at Nilgiris 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.

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“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 the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The Longwood shola is an integral part of the very fragile Nilgiris ecosystem. This sylvan retreat is a major water source for Kotagiri by supplying water to 18 villages downstream,” the statement added.

It was noted that after a long gap of two decades, the government under Chief Minister MK Stalin had obtained notification for 13 new Ramsar sites in 2022. The last Ramsar site to be notified was the Point Calimere, Kodiakkarai in 2002.

It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu government had launched the ‘Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission’ touted to be one of its kind missions for protection, conservation and restoration of 100 wetlands at a cost of Rs 115.15 crore.

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