New Delhi, Aug 14 : The Union government on Wednesday added three more bird sanctuaries from Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh to the prestigious Ramsar Site list, taking India's total tally of wetlands to 85.

The latest Wetlands of International Importance, added on the eve of Independence Day 2024, are Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh.

'As the nation gears up to celebrate its Independence Day, thrilled to share that we have added three Ramsar Sites to our network. This takes our tally to 85 Ramsar Sites, covering an area of 1358068 ha in India,' announced Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, in a post on social media platform X.

Yadav said that the achievement reflects the emphasis Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid on 'establishing harmony with nature, calling our wetlands 'Amrit Dharohars', and working relentlessly for their conservation.'

Congratulating Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh on the achievement, Yadav said, 'Let us pledge that Viksit Bharat is a Green Bharat'.

In June, India added two bird sanctuaries from Bihar -- Nagi and Nakti -- to the Ramsar Sites list, equaling China in terms of Ramsar Sites.

Between 2014 and 2024, the country added 59 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar Sites -- up from 26 from 1982-2013.

Currently, Tamil Nadu harbours the maximum number of Ramsar Sites (18) followed by Uttar Pradesh (10).

The Nanjarayan lake is a large shallow wetland which majorly depends on weather conditions, especially on heavy rain water flow from Nallar drainage.

It is located on the Tiruppur-Uthukkuli main road, in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur District.

The lake, which is also the 17th bird sanctuary of Tamil Nadu, acts as feeding and nesting habitat for resident bird species and migratory birds.

About 191 species of birds, 87 species of butterflies, 7 species of amphibians, 21 species of reptiles, 11 species of small mammals and 77 species of plants have been recorded in and around the lake.

The Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary covers an area of 5151.6 ha and was declared as the 16th bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu in 2021.

The brackish shallow lake -- one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India -- is located on the Coromandel Coast in Villupuram District, North of Pondicherry.

The lake includes estuaries with brackish water, the Uppukali creek feeding the sea water and the Kazuveli basin with fresh water.

The Bird Sanctuary, which lies in the Central Asian Flyway, is an important stopover site for migratory birds and breeding ground for resident species of birds and fish. It serves as a major recharge source for the aquifers.

The Tawa Reservoir, constructed at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers, is situated near Itarsi town.

Built mainly for irrigation purposes, it was later used for power generation and aquaculture.

The reservoir is important for aquatic flora and fauna, especially birds and wild animals.

Many rare and endangered species of plants, reptiles and insects are found here.

It is also an important habitat for many local and migratory birds.

/IANS