Shekha Jheel in Aligarh becomes India's 99th Ramsar site

On 22 April 2026, on the occasion of World Earth Day, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced that the Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh has been added to the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. With this designation, India's count of Ramsar sites rises to 99, the highest in Asia, while Uttar Pradesh's tally rises to 12.

Shekha Jheel is a freshwater wetland of about 25 hectares situated around 17 kilometres from Aligarh city. It was formed in the mid-19th century after the construction of the Upper Ganga Canal. The site has recorded the presence of around 249 bird species, of which 62 are wetland-dependent. The lake is a crucial stop on the Central Asian Flyway and supports migratory species such as the bar-headed goose and painted stork during winter. Mammals such as blackbuck, nilgai and mongoose are also found in its surroundings.

The Ramsar tag does not give the wetland new legal protection on its own, but places an obligation on the country to maintain its ecological character and promote wise use. India became a party to the Ramsar Convention in 1982. With the latest addition, the country is one short of the symbolic mark of 100 Ramsar sites, behind only the United Kingdom and Mexico globally.

Exam angle: Ramsar Convention (1971, Iran), Montreux Record, Central Asian Flyway, Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017 and the location of Ramsar sites are recurring map and factual questions for UPSC Prelims, State PCS and SSC exams. Candidates should remember the running tally (99) and that Uttar Pradesh now leads with 12 Ramsar sites in India.