India’s Ramsar Sites Reach 103: Sukhna Wetland and Sauj Jheel Added to the List

Sukhna Wetland of Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh have been added to the list of Ramsar sites of India, bringing their number to 103, as declared by the Union Minister for Environment Bhupender Yadav on 15th October, 2026. These wetlands offer a variety of wetland ecosystems along with a population of water birds and contribute to balancing the ecology as well as the local livelihoods. The Wetlands of International Importance include both the above-mentioned wetlands.

Sukhna Wetland & Sauj Jheel New Ramsar Sites Announced

The two new sites are found in different geographical locations and have different ecological functions.

1. Sukhna Wetland

• Sukhna Wetland is an urban reservoir in the proximity of Chandigarh City, which lies on the foothills of the Outer Himalayas.
• This wetland assists in regulating the flow of water and sediment and acts as a habitat for resident and migratory birds. The species include the common pochard (threatened), Pallas’s fish eagle (endangered) and black pond turtle (endangered).

2. Sauj Jheel

• Sauj Jheel is a freshwater lake that is surrounded by agricultural land in the floodplains of the Ganga River. It forms part of the wetlands complex and is located close to the Saman Bird Sanctuary.
• Over 30,000 waterbirds have been regularly recorded here, and it is classified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

Key Characteristics of Sukhna Wetland

Sukhna Wetland consists of various types of habitats such as open water bodies, littoral vegetation, scrub and forest. Seasonal fluctuations in water levels make the wetlands rich in different kinds of habitats that act as places for feeding, nesting, roosting, and wintering of different species of birds.

Sukhna Lake is a rain-fed lake, located within Chandigarh, and its catchment area falls in both Punjab and Haryana. It is a man-made lake that was built in 1958 by Le Corbusier, the architect of Chandigarh. It is located in the foothills of the Shivalik Hills; it was designed to collect runoff water from the Hills.

Sukhna Wetland is an important area for migratory birds moving along the Central Asian Flyway route, which connects birds breeding in Eurasia and adjacent areas and those that nest outside their breeding ranges.

Being close to Chandigarh, the wetland also serves as a place for recreation and education for the city dwellers. However, sediments carried into the wetland by the catchment and the problem with alien plants need special management.

Features of Sauj Jheel

Sauj Jheel is one of the wetlands associated with the Ganga floodplain system and helps create ecological connectivity in the landscape. The vegetation in this wetland includes sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and wild sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum), providing food and refuge for wildlife.

This wetland is important for water birds, attracting over 30,000 birds. Some of the species that can be found in the wetland include the endangered sarus crane and the greater spotted eagle.

Proposed management actions include restriction of fishing during certain seasons, using fishing nets that are not very fine and restricting the entry of cattle into the wetland.

What is a Ramsar Site?

A Ramsar Site is that it is a wetland area that is declared as an internationally important area in terms of conservation of biodiversity and ecological balance through the Ramsar Convention in 1971.

They play an important role in groundwater recharge, flood moderation, maintaining climate balance, and also help in earning a livelihood through fishery and agriculture.

There are 103 Ramsar sites found in India in 28 states and union territories.