Aligarh’s Shekha Bird Sanctuary declared the 12th Ramsar site of UP. This will promote tourism, employment and environmental protection. The state now ranks second among 99 Ramsar sites in the country.
Minister of State for Forest and Environment (Independent Charge) of Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Arun Kumar Saxena has expressed happiness over the declaration of Shekha Bird Sanctuary in Aligarh district as the 12th Ramsar site of the state. He expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for this achievement and extended best wishes to the people of the state. He said that the declaration of new Ramsar sites will boost tourism, which will increase employment opportunities for the local people and strengthen the economy of the region.
Importance of Ramsar Site: Wetland Conservation and Biodiversity
Conservation of wetlands is very important for biodiversity, water resources and environmental balance. Keeping these objectives in mind, efforts are made under the Ramsar Convention to identify and conserve internationally important wetlands. This initiative plays an important role in environmental protection as well as in maintaining ecological balance.
Shekha Bird Sanctuary got recognition on 21 April 2026
After the permission of the government, important wetlands were identified and Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS) was prepared by the State Wetland Authority. Under the same process, the Ramsar Secretariat notified Shekha Bird Sanctuary as a Ramsar site on 21 April 2026. With this announcement, there are a total of 99 Ramsar sites in the country, out of which Uttar Pradesh has reached the second position with 12 sites.
Recently Patna Bird Sanctuary was also made Ramsar site.
It is noteworthy that in February 2026, Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah district was also declared a Ramsar site. Thus, in just two months, Uttar Pradesh has got two new Ramsar sites, which is a big achievement for the state.
Major Ramsar sites of Uttar Pradesh: Complete list
Major Ramsar sites of Uttar Pradesh include Upper Ganga River (Hapur, Bulandshahr, Sambhal, Amroha), Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao), Sarsai Nawar Lake (Etawah), Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Rae Bareli), Sandi Bird Sanctuary (Hardoi), Saman Bird Sanctuary (Mainpuri), Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (Gonda), Sur Sarovar (Agra), Haiderpur Wetland. (Muzaffarnagar), Bakhira Bird Sanctuary (Sant Kabir Nagar), Patna Bird Sanctuary (Etah) and now Shekha Bird Sanctuary (Aligarh). The total area of all these Ramsar sites is 39,914.27 hectares, which is about 3.21 percent of the total wetland area of the state (12,42,530 hectares).
What is Ramsar Convention? (Ramsar Convention Explained)
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty, which began in 1971 in the city of Ramsar, Iran. Its objective is to identify and conserve important wetlands around the world. The areas designated under this are called Ramsar sites, where special attention is paid to conservation and sustainable use.
Environment and local people will benefit
This initiative of the state government will strengthen the conservation of biodiversity. Along with this, it will help in conservation of migratory birds, water security and maintaining environmental balance. Furthermore, increased tourism will increase the income of local communities and create new employment opportunities. The government is making continuous efforts for better management and conservation of wetlands.