Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary as India’s 99th Ramsar Site:
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has designated Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, as a Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance), taking India’s total Ramsar sites to 99 and the State’s tally to 12.
- It is a 25-hectare freshwater perennial wetland that came into existence in 1852 following the construction of the Upper Ganga Canal, which divides the lake into two parts.
- The wetland acts as a crucial wintering habitat for over 166 water bird species, including important species like the painted stork and bar-headed goose, alongside mammalian fauna such as the blackbuck (a Schedule I species) and blue bull.
- The dominant tree species include Terminalia arjuna and Syzygium cumini, but the native ecosystem is increasingly threatened by invasive alien species such as Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Water Hyacinth.
- The wetland is degrading due to siltation (caused by unscientific mound construction in 1991), loss of forest cover due to land distribution schemes, and increased poaching vulnerabilities facilitated by nearby road construction.
- Additionally, aggressive water chestnut farming has reduced the foraging surface area for migratory birds.
- The profuse and uncontrolled growth of water hyacinth is causing severe eutrophication, deteriorating the water body’s health and reducing habitats for waterfowl.
