Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary Designated as India's 100th Ramsar Site

Key facts

• Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, also known as Surha Tal, located in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, has been designated as India's 100th Ramsar site.
• The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 June, coinciding with World Environment Day.
• Uttar Pradesh now leads all Indian states in the number of Ramsar sites with a total of 13.
• The sanctuary hosts approximately 10,000 resident birds and nearly 200,000 international and indigenous birds during the winter months.
• India joined the 1971 Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982, with its first designated sites in 1981 being Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan.