Wet-lands in India
A Land area whose soil gets saturated with moisture either permanently
or temporally is called a Wet-land. These Wet-lands are separated from
the Water-bodies based on the comparative level of water and the
variety of species found there.
Technically speaking Wet lands
are classified as both Biomes and Ecosystems. They are also defined as
Ecotones that transit between water bodies and dry lands. Thus, simply
put wet lands are lands with Hydric Soil. The Ramsar Convention that
defines international standards on wetlands has defined them as:
“Wetlands
are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or
artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or
flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the
depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.”These
Wet-lands are extremely important for sustaining a healthy environment
as they help to retain water during dry-periods, keeping the water
table level stable. They also help restrict the rise of water level
during Flood times and are home to numerous species of birds and
animals.
Since ages wetlands have been used to maintain the
quality of water and water-purification. Woefully, due to their lacking
of potential financial gains, Wetlands have been subjected to
continuous draining or conversions into tourist purpose lakes.
Wetlands Classification Scheme
Inland Wetlands
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Lakes/Ponds
Ox-bow lakes/ Cut-off meanders
Waterlogged (Seasonal)
Playas
Swamp/mars
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Reservoirs
Tanks
Waterlogged
Abandoned quarries
Ash pond/cooling pond |
Coastal Wetlands
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Estuary
Lagoon
Creek
Backwater (Kayal)
Bay
Tidal flat/Split/Bar
Coral reef
Rocky coast
Mangroove forest
Salt marsh/marsh vegetation
Other vegetation |
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Salt pans
Aquaculture |
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The Wetland Ecosystem in India is spread over a wide range of
varied climatic conditions, that is ranging from the wetlands in cold
and humid Jammu and Kashmir to Hot and Humid conditions in Peninsular
India there is a great variety of these Wetlands. Under the
conservation of Wetlands in India, 71 wetlands have been recognized
that are a part of national Parks and sanctuaries. The Mangrove area in
India covers a total of 7% of World’s Mangroves. Prominent mangrove
covers in India are located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the
Sundarbans delta, the Gulf of Kutch and the deltas of the Mahanadi,
Godavari and Krishna rivers. Parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala
also have large mangrove covers.
The Sunderbans Delta in India
is home to World’s largest Mangrove Forest and is also identified as a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It also is a home to number of species
including Bengal Tiger. The Rann of Kutch, a marshy region in Western
Gujarat, is a large saltwater lagoon which was originally a part of
Arabian Sea.
Following is a list of Ramsar Sites in India that is the Wetlands that have been declared as “Internationally Important”.
Name Area (km2)
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Ashtamudi Wetland, Kerala 614
Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Orissa 650
Bhoj Wetland, Madhya Pradesh 32
Chandertal Wetland, Himachal Pradesh 0.49
Chilika Lake, Orissa 1165
Deepor Beel, Assam 40
East Calcutta Wetlands, West Bengal 125
Harike Lake, Punjab 41
Hokera Wetland, Jammu and Kashmir 13.75
Kanjli, Punjab 1.83
Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan 28.73
Kolleru Lake, Andhra Pradesh 901
Loktak Lake, Manipur 266
Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu 385
Pong Dam Lake, Himachal Pradesh 156.62
Renuka Wetland, Himachal Pradesh 0.2
Ropar, Punjab 13.65
Rudrasagar Lake, Tripura 2.4
Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan 240
Sasthamkotta Lake, Kerala 3.73
Surinsar-Mansar Lakes, Jammu and Kashmir 3.5
Tsomoriri, Jammu and Kashmir 120
Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch), Uttar Pradesh 265.9
Vembanad-Kol Wetland, Kerala 1512.5
Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir 189
