India has freshly added two new ‘Ramsar’ sites to its list with the inclusion of Bihar’s Kabar-Tal and Maharashtra’s Lonar Lake in Buldhana district. The latter was formed when a meteorite hit the earth around 50,000 years ago.
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Ramsar sites are designated wetlands that are deemed to have international importance as per the terms set during the Ramsar Convention of 1971. Such wetlands are protected by the government.
The inclusion of Lonar lake takes the total number of Ramsar sites in India to 41. It is also the first in India to be formed by the impact of a meteorite onto the basalt. This crater was apparently identified by a British officer named CJE Alexander in 1823.
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This area is reportedly home to more than 160 species of birds, 46 species of reptiles, and 12 species of mammals which includes the grey wolf. The region took scientists and locals by surprise when it turned pink in June earlier this year.
Ramsar sites can be found in states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
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