New Ramsar Site in Madhya Pradesh | 26 Aug 2024

Why in News?

Recently, the centre declared the Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh as a new Ramsar Site.

Key Points

  • The Tawa Reservoir:
    • It is situated at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers near Itarsi town, was originally built for irrigation and now also supports power generation and aquaculture. 
    • The reservoir lies within the Satpura Tiger Reserve, bordering the Satpura National Park and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary. 
    • River Malani, Sonbhadra, and Nagdwari are the major tributaries of the Tawa reservoir.
    • The Tawa River, a left-bank tributary of Narmada river, originates in the Mahadeo Hills of Chhindwara district, flows through Betul district, and meets the Narmada River in Narmadapuram district.
      • It is the longest tributary of the Narmada river.
    • The reservoir hosts Spotted deer and Painted Stork.

The Ramsar Convention

  • The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, under the auspices of UNESCO, aimed at conserving wetlands of international importance. 
    • In India, it came into force on 1st February 1982, under which wetlands of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites.
  • Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. 
    • It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.