Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray has cleared the proposal of getting special status for Thane Creek wildlife sanctuary as per Ramsar Convention to the Centre.
The proposal was accepted in the fourth meeting of the State Wetland Authority was held at Sahyadri Guest House under the chairmanship of Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray.
This will allow faster delegation of power to forest officials to take action in mangrove and wetland destruction cases.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Nitin Karir, Principal Secretary Environment Manisha Mhaiskar, Principal Secretary Forest Venugopal Reddy, Principal Secretary Urban Development Mahesh Pathak, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sunil Limaye, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Virendra Tiwari.
The Thane Creek sanctuary lies on the eastern side of Eastern Express Highway and shares boundaries with Thane and Navi Mumbai. It is spread over 17 sq km and was declared a sanctuary in 2015 for giving more protection to flamingos.
There are 46 sites protected as per Ramsar Convention. At present, the Lonar crater and wetland inside the crater and Nandur Madhmeshwar are protected. If the Thane Bay area is recognised, it will be the third Ramsar area in the state.
What is Ramsar Wetland Area?
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.
It is named after Ramsar city in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971.
Under the agreement, 168 countries of the world have come together and are protecting a total of 2,177 wetlands in these countries. These regions cover 27 places in India. Maharashtra government is making efforts to include prominent locations in Ramsar wetland area.