The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 as regulatory framework for conservation and management of wetlands in India.
What is Wetland?
The Convention, ratified by Government of India, defines wetlands as ‘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 tides, does not exceed six meters’
Features
As per Rule 5 of Wetlands Rules, 2017 the Wetlands Authorities have to constituted within States and UTs with Minister in-charge of the Department of Environment/Forests of the State Government or Minister in charge of the Department handling wetlands as the Chairperson .
The State Wetlands Authority shall:
- Prepare a list of all wetlands of the State or UT within three months from the date of publication of these rules;
- Prepare a list of wetlands to be notified, within six months from the date of publication of these Rules, taking into cognizance any existing list of wetlands prepared/notified under other relevant State Acts;
- Develop a comprehensive list of activities, to be regulated and permitted within the notified wetlands and their zone of influence;
- Review Integrated Management Plan for each of the notified wetlands,
- Function as a nodal authority for all wetland-specific authorities within the State or UT Administration;
- The Wetlands Authority shall be responsible for enforcing the regulations, through enforcement machinery of the concerned State Government / UT Administration.
The Authority shall meet at least thrice in a year. State Government / UT Administration may decide an appropriate quorum, not less than half of the members
A zone of influence: For each wetland to be notified, a zone of influence is to be defined. The zone of influence of a wetland is an area, developmental activities wherein are likely to induce adverse changes in wetland ecosystem structure and (ecological) functioning.
The boundary of the zone of influence may be defined with due consideration to local hydrology and nature of land use. For wetlands with a well-defined surface drainage system, its directly and freely draining basin should be delineated as the zone of influence.
For delineating wetlands: For delineating wetlands, it is essential to be aware of the distinguishing characteristics of these ecosystems. Wetlands arise when inundation by water produces soil dominated by anaerobic processes, which in turn forces the biota, particularly rooted plants to adapt to flooding. Wetlands, thus, have the following general distinguishing characteristics: a) Permanent or periodic inundation or saturated soils throughout the year or during parts of the year b) Presence of macrophytes adapted to wet conditions (also known as hydrophytes) c) Soil that are saturated or flooded long enough favouring development of anaerobic conditions
Preparing Wetlands Map: For each wetland and wetlands complex, a map should be prepared using a Geographical Information System (WGS84 datum and UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) projection) and adopting professional cartographic standards.
Wise Use of Wetlands: Management of notified wetlands is recommended to be based on ‘wise use’ approach. Human beings and their use of resources form an essential component of wetland ecosystem dynamics. The ‘wise use’ approach recognises that restricting wetland loss and degradation requires incorporation of linkages between people and wetlands. The wise use principle emphasises that human use of these ecosystems on a sustainable basis is compatible with conservation. Ramsar Convention defines the ‘wise use’ of wetlands as “the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development”.
RAMSAR WETLANDS SITES IN INDIA AS ON February, 2019
| Sl. No. | Name of Site | State Location | Date of Declaration | Area (in Sq. km.) |
| 1 | Asthamudi Wetland | Kerala | 19.8.2002 | 614 |
| 2 | Bhitarkanika Mangroves | Orissa | 19.8.2002 | 650 |
| 3 | Bhoj Wetlands | Madhya Pradesh | 19.8.2002 | 32.01 |
| 4 | Chandertal Wetland | Himachal Pradesh | 8.11.2005 | 0.49 |
| 5 | Chilka Lake | Orissa | 1.10.1981 | 1165 |
| 6 | Deepor Beel | Assam | 19.8.2002 | 40 |
| 7 | East Calcutta Wetlands | West Bengal | 19.8.2002 | 125 |
| 8 | Harike Lake | Punjab | 23.3.1990 | 41 |
| 9 | Hokera Wetland | Jammu and Kashmir | 8.11.2005 | 13.75 |
| 10 | Kanjli Lake | Punjab | 22.1.2002 | 1.83 |
| 11 | Keoladeo Ghana NP | Rajasthan | 1.10.1981 | 28.73 |
| 12 | Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh | 19.8.2002 | 901 |
| 13 | Loktak Lake | Manipur | 23.3.1990 | 266 |
| 14 | Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat | 24/09/12 | 120 |
| 15 | Point Calimere | Tamil Nadu | 19.8.2002 | 385 |
| 16 | Pong Dam Lake | Himachal Pradesh | 19.8.2002 | 156.62 |
| 17 | Renuka Wetland | Himachal Pradesh | 8.11.2005 | 0.2 |
| 18 | Ropar Lake | Punjab | 22.1.2002 | 13.65 |
| 19 | Rudrasagar Lake | Tripura | 8.11.2005 | 2.4 |
| 20 | Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | 23.3.1990 | 240 |
| 21 | Sasthamkotta Lake | Kerala | 19.8.2002 | 3.73 |
| 22 | Sunderbans Wetland | West Bengal | 30.1.2019 | 4230 |
| 23 | Surinsar-Mansar Lakes | Jammu and Kashmir | 8.11.2005 | 3.5 |
| 24 | Tsomoriri Lake | Jammu and Kashmir | 19.8.2002 | 120 |
| 25 | Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch) | Uttar Pradesh | 8.11.2005 | 265.9 |
| 26 | Vembanad Kol Wetland | Kerala | 19.8.2002 | 1512.5 |
| 27 | Wular Lake | Jammu & Kashmir | 23.3.1990 | 189 |
| Total Area (in Sq. km.) | 11121.31 |
(Source: Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India)
