Thane creek designated a Ramsar Site on I-Day

Good news is in store for Maharashtra and wildlife enthusiasts The Thane creek was on Saturday designated as a Ramsar sitemdasha wetland of international significance With this Thane creek now has the unparalleled honour of being the first wetland in India located within an urban metropolis specifically the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMRThe Thane creek was also declared as the largest wetland encompassing a total area of 6522 hectares ha Of this 1690 ha has been declared as the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary TCFS and 4832 ha notified as Eco Sensitive Zone around the SanctuaryThe state now has three Ramsar sites Nandur Madhmeshwar in Nashik district of 80096 ha and 427 ha Lonar Lake in Buldhana district were declared Ramsar sites in January and November 2020 respectivelyThe development was communicated by the Ramsar Convention to the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change MoEFCC on Saturday after the creek fulfilled seven of the total nine criteria to be entitled as a Ramsar site India now has 75 Ramsar sites the highest for any country across South AsiaA Ramsar site is a wetland area of international significance identified by the authorising Ramsar Convention which is an international environmental agreement establishing action framework for wetlands It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971The Thane creek was proposed as a Ramsar site by the Maharashtra State Mangrove Cell back in July 8 2021 The proposal was authorised by the Maharashtra Environment and Climate Change department on December 9 2021 but it wasnrsquot until February 12 of this year that it was formally sent to the MoEFCC by the Maharashtra governmentVirendra Tiwari Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Mangrove Cell said ldquoThe value of this wetland is now recognised as contributing to global biodiversity We are committed to safeguarding this area administering it in accordance with international standards and making sure biodiversity is sustained over the long termrdquo Ecosystem services such as preservation of this wetland offers a big boost to protect the ever expanding MMR during climate change hazards like cyclonesThane creek has a ubiquitous quantity of globally significant species and it maintains biogeographic diversity by supporting plants and animals at critical stages It has more than 202 endangered or threatened bird species The other fauna consists of 24 species of zooplankton 35 species of phytoplankton 59 species of butterflies 67 species of insects 18 species of fish crustaceans and molluscs and 23 species of BenthosDr Afroz Ahmad Expert Member National Green Tribunal Principal Bench and Former Member National Wetland Committee under MoEFCC said ldquoThis region is undoubtedly an ecological hotspot with a high potential for biodiversity This declaration will enable the relevant agencies to safeguard and protect this area as well as encourage people to conserve and guarantee its sustainability particularly during these trying times of climate changerdquoThe creekrsquos marshy area prevents human inhabitation even though its surroundings are heavily populated ldquoThe creekrsquos ecology and economy outweighs the metropolisrsquo stressors The Ramsar designation and the announcement of a sizable ecosensitive zone last year will contribute to the improved protection of this place which will be done by enhancing staff security and closely collaborating with the nearby fishing communityrdquo said TiwariMangroves line both banks of Thane Creek making up around 20 per cent of the entire species of mangroves found in India These include the 13 species of real mangroves 36 species of mangrove allies and a sizable group of grey mangrove trees The mangrove forest serves as a natural buffer zone shielding the land from storms tidal surges seawater invasions and other natural disasters The mangrove supports the local fishing and acts as a nursery for a number of fish speciesEnvironmentalist Debi Goenka executive trustee Conservation Action Trust and environmentalist Stalin D were ecstatic about the announcementGoenka said ldquoThis proposal was pending for several years for want of a proper map demarcating the boundaries Hopefully now the plans of the Mangroves Cell to cut mangroves in Thane Creek or to reclaim it by stopping the tidal water flow will be dropped and civic bodies will stop dumping sewage solid and industrial waste at the site This tag will also attract foreign bird watchersrdquoStalin D added that the declaration will go a long way in protecting the unique biodiversity of the creek ldquoIt also puts Mumbai prominently on the world tourismrdquo The creek travels 26 kilometres north of Mumbai Harbor before joining Ulhas River one of the creekrsquos main freshwater sources via a narrow channelThe wetland was declared a Ramsar site under seven criteria These include having globally significant species maintaining biogeographic diversity and supporting plants and animals at critical stage having over 20000 rare and threatened waterbird species indigenous fish and important source of food for fish spawning ground nursery andor migration path on which fish stocks dependWhat is a Ramsar SiteThey are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention which is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resourcesgtgt Number of Ramsar Sites in the world 2453gtgt India signed the convention on February 1 1982gtgt Number of Ramsar Sites in India 75