Team Herald
PANJIM: After Goa got its first Ramsar site – the Nanda Lake in Curchorem, the Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) has granted its nod to nominate Carambolim Lake and Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary for international recognition.
During its recent meeting, the GSWA chaired by Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral decided to complete all the required formalities to nominate Carambolim Lake and Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary to be designated as the Ramsar site. The Authority also decided to write to the Forest Department, as Dr Salim Ali, the sole bird sanctuary is a protected area.
Under the Ramsar Criteria, wetlands should be selected for the Ramsar List on account of their international significance in terms of the biodiversity and uniqueness of their ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology.
Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental global treaty that identifies wetlands around the world, which are of international importance, especially if they provide habitat to waterfowl (about 180 species of birds).
Last month, the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) announced the inclusion of Nanda Lake — one of the State’s biggest wetlands — under the Ramsar Convention.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, the GSWA approved three more water bodies from PondaTaluka — Coneix (Conem) Lake in Priol, Panchami Lake in Curti-Khandepar and DhulpeLake in Shiroda to be declared as wetlands. The draft notification in this regard will be issued soon.
“These lakes belong to the pristine category,” the Authority noted.
