India Establishes 54 Biodiversity Heritage Sites under Biological Diversity Act 2002

Key facts

• India introduced Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) reporting 54 such sites as of March 2026.
• Nallur Tamarind Grove in Karnataka, declared in 2007, is India's first BHS and covers 54 acres with nearly 300 tamarind trees dating back to the Chola period.
• Ameenpur Lake in Telangana is the first water body to receive BHS status and serves as a habitat for migratory birds including Flamingos, Egrets, Herons, Kingfishers, and River Terns.
• Yaya Tso Lake in Ladakh, located at 4,820 metres above sea level, is proposed for BHS recognition and is a breeding ground for the Black-necked Crane, Bar-headed Goose, and Brahminy Duck.
• Key BHS include Majuli in Assam on the Brahmaputra River, Arittapatti in Tamil Nadu known for raptors like the Laggar Falcon and Shaheen Falcon, and Mahendragiri Hill in Odisha which represents nearly 40% of Odisha's flora.
• Other notable sites include Hogrekan in Karnataka, which acts as a wildlife corridor between Kudremukh and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, and Gupteswar Forest in Odisha, home to the Mugger Crocodile and Kanger Valley Rock Gecko.
• The complete list of BHS mentioned includes Nallur Tamarind Grove, Hogrekan, University of Agricultural Sciences Bengaluru, Ambaraguda, Glory of Allapalli, Tonglu BHS, Dhotrey BHS, Dialong Village, Ameenpur Lake, Majuli, Ghariyal Rehabilitation Centre, Mandasaru, Gupteswar Forest, Mahendragiri Hill, Gandhamardan Hill, Patalkot, Asramam Kollam, Bambarde Myristica Swamps, Garo Hills, Arittapatti, Inland Mangrove of Guneri, Elathur Lake, Nagamalai Hillock, Canary Pahad, and Mawtneng.