Pariksha SaathiIndia's Ramsar site tally reaches 103 with Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (Uttar Pradesh)
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav announced on 15 October 2026 that India's tally of Ramsar sites, wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, has reached 103 with the designation of Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh. In a social media post tagged #AmritDharohar he said the additions reaffirm India's commitment to conserving its wetland ecosystems for biodiversity, water and climate security and local livelihoods, congratulated Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh, and invited travellers to visit the two sites.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was adopted at Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971 and came into force in 1975; 2 February is observed as World Wetlands Day. India joined on 1 February 1982, and its first two designated sites were Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), listed in 1981. A Ramsar listing is an international recognition; the day-to-day protection of a wetland still comes from Indian law such as the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
Reference: Ramsar Convention country profile for India
Check yourself: does a Ramsar designation by itself make a wetland a protected area under Indian law?
No. It is an international listing under the 1971 Convention; legal protection in India comes from domestic instruments such as the Wetlands Rules, 2017 and, where a site is also a sanctuary or national park, the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
Revision task: from this release, note the new count (103) and the two sites with their state or UT, and keep them apart from the standing facts about the Convention above.
Test yourself
With which two additions did India's Ramsar site tally reach 103, as announced on 15 October 2026?
Show the answer
Answer: Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (Uttar Pradesh)
The two newest Ramsar sites are Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh, taking the tally to 103; the other options are long-standing Ramsar sites.
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