One More Wetland In Odisha Gets Ramsar Tag, Number Rises To 3

Bhubaneswar: Satkosia Gorge in Angul district has been designated as a Ramsar site, making it the third such wetland of international importance in Odisha.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Satkosia (wildlife) in its Twitter handle said, “Good news…Satkosia is declared as a Ramsar site. The unique habitat of Satkosia attracts endangered Indian Skimmer, home to the southernmost distribution of endangered gharials.”

It is among the 10 more wetlands in India – six in Tamil Nadu and one each in Odisha, Goa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh – which have been accorded the tag,  Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Bhupender Yadav informed on Wednesday.

Chilika Lake and the Bhitarkanika Mangroves in Odisha have already earned the tag. Bhitarkanika, known for its mangrove vegetation, birds and crocodiles, was listed as a wetland of international importance, in 2021. Spread out over an area of 1,16,500 hectares in the three districts of Khurda, Puri and Ganjam, Chilika Lake was designated as a Ramsar Site in 1981.

Ramsar sites play a key role in maintaining the ecological bio-diversity of a region.

Also Read: India To Push For Ramsar Tag For 26 Wetlands, Including 4 In Odisha

The Satkosia gorge, a narrow stretch of River Mahanadi near Tikarapada, is a mosaic of marshes and evergreen forests located within Satkosia Tiger Reserve. It is part of the Satkosia Sanctuary notified by the state government in 1976. This wetland is the meeting point of two biogeographic regions of India- the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing to immense biodiversity.

The forests of these catchments play a vital role in the prevention of gorge siltation. It also helps in maintaining a specific desirable depth of water crucial for the endangered gharial population and spawning of commercially important carp species, the official description said.

“The gorge is known for its rich and unique bio-diversity, especially for the presence of gharials, mugger, rare freshwater turtles and few other species. The Ramsar site recognition will help us get more government support for the conservation of its biodiversity,” Regional Chief Conservator of Forests, Angul, M Yogajayanand to TNIE.

After Ramsar tag, the focus will be more on conservation of the bio-diversity as the area falls within the core area, said Yogajayanand, also Field Director of Satkosia Tiger Reserve.