Chhari Dhand Wetland declared a Ramsar Site
Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia presented the Ramsar certificate to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar on Friday.
Thus, Chhari Dhand became the fifth Ramsar site of Gujarat and the first in the Kutch region. Spanning 22,700 hectares and covering 12 villages, the wetland is located between arid desert and grassland ecosystems and serves as an important habitat for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
Other Ramsar sites in Gujarat include Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary (2012), Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (2021), Wadhwana Wetland (2021) and Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary (2022).
Chhari Dhand is known for its rich bird diversity, with more than 200,000 birds and 187 species recorded simultaneously in the wetland. More than 40,000 Cranes were observed in a single location; The surrounding land supports 283 bird species, including 11 globally threatened and nine endangered species. The region is also an important wintering area for the rare Gray Hypocolius.
The site was declared a Conservation Reserve in 2008 under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and has enjoyed continuous conservation measures ever since. It currently accounts for more than 35 percent of Gujarat’s bird diversity and attracts bird watchers and researchers from more than 52 countries.
