After Ranganthittu, Karnataka eyes Ramsar tag for three more wetlands

Weeks after the state government sent a proposal to the Centre seeking Ramsar site tag for the Ranganathittu bird sanctuary in Mandya district, the forest department has added three more wetlands to the pipeline: Aghanashini estuary in Uttara Kannada, Magadi-Shettikeri tanks in Gadag and Ankasamudra in Ballari.

The move comes as a big boost towards protection of habitats of birds, some of which travel thousands of kilometres to reach Karnataka.

Being a signatory to the Ramsar convention, an international agreement for conservation of wetlands, India has 46 Ramsar sites.

Karnataka had so far been absent from the draft national action plan to protect wetlands.

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Loss or degradation of habitat has been seen as a major cause of endangerment to biodiversity and the Ramsar recognition seeks to address the same.

Over the last two years, officials are trying to make up for the lost opportunities.

As part of the efforts, the government recently proposed to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), seeking Ramsar recognition for Ranganathittu bird sanctuary.

Once approved, it will be binding on the state and the Centre to protect the 1279.26 acres of Ranganathittu, recognised by the Bombay Natural History Society as a bird area of national importance.

“We are keen on getting Ramsar recognition for three other wetlands that have representative features. Our proposals will be forwarded by the state government to MoEF, which will recommend the same to Ramsar committee,” a senior official said.

The Magadi-Shettikeri tanks host bar-headed geese that travel 3,500 km from Mongolia.

Several other species, totalling about 6,000 birds, visit the wetland during the winter. While experts have spoken of harmonious relationship between birds and human population in the area, officials have noted conflict situations, including trapping of birds and the trampling on eggs by cattle.

The Aghanashini estuary spread over 1,1861.1 acres has diverse habitats from mangrove and mudflats to sand flats and shallow marshes.

Of the 130 species of birds it hosts, 40 per cent are migratory visitors.

“Protecting the estuary is not only important for birds, but also for the welfare of 7,500 families whose livelihood is dependent on the ecosystem,” the official said.

Ankasamudra, the man-made wetland in Ballari, has no permanent source of water, but supports a rich diversity of birds.

A survey last December recorded 141 birds, including eight in the red list of the International Union of Conservation of Nature, three endangered by illegal trade and 83 recognised under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Ornithologist Dr S Subramanya, who has been nominated as the compiler for the proposed Ranganathittu Ramsar site, said getting the Ramsar tag was a long-drawn process and requires meticulous work at several stages.

“Once we get preliminary approval, we will provide detailed documentation on the site, as required by the Ramsar secretariat. After a thorough scrutiny of all the information, we will get the final approval,” he said.

Speaking about the department’s efforts to get recognition for three more wetlands as Ramsar sites, he said: “This gives hope for the future of these ecosystems and goes a long way in the conservation of wetland biodiversity, more specifically for the birds using the central Asian flyway.”