Addition of Tamil Nadu Nanjarayan, Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuaries to Ramsar Sites:
- Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that 3 wetlands of the country, including Nanjarayan and kazhuveli bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu, have been included in the Ramsar sites.
- With this, the number of Ramsar sites in the country has increased to 85 covering an area of 13,58,068 hectares.
- An international organization called “Ramsar” is working to prevent the destruction of swamp forests and to protect them and create awareness among the people.
- According to the decision taken in 1971, the organization operates in the name of the city of Ramsar, Iran.
- An international network of wetlands has been created to protect global biodiversity and sustain the livelihoods of people in their respective areas.
- So far 82 wetlands in India have been declared as Ramsar sites.
- It has now increased to 85, notably until 2013 when only 26 were on the Rams list.
- But after 2014, 59 seats have been closed in the last 10 years.
- Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh have been designated as Ramsar sites this year.
- At present, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of 18 Ramsar sites in the country.
- Next up is Uttar Pradesh with 10 sites.
Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary:
- Located on the Tiruppur-Uthukuli main road, Nanjarayan Lake has an area of 865 hectares.
- Built in 1498, it was renovated and named after a king named Nanjarayan who ruled the region.
- This lake has been declared as the 17th bird sanctuary of Tamil Nadu in 2022 due to its rich animal diversity.
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary:
- The lake located on the coast of Coromandel in Vanur taluk in Villupuram district north of Puducherry.
- It is a shallow lake with an area of 5,151.6 ha and is home to the Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary.
- Declared 16th Bird Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu in 2021.
- The lake is connected to the Bay of Bengal by the Uppukali creek – Yedayanthittu estuary.
- This lake is based on three types of water features i.e. freshwater, fresh water and sea water.
- Kazhuveli is one of the largest biodiverse wetlands in the peninsular country.
- Located on the Central Asian Flyway, the Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary is an important stopover for the bird species.
Tawa Reservoir:
- The Tawa Reservoir is located at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers near Itarsi in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
- Tawa Lake has a water area of 20,050 hectares and a catchment area of 5,98,290 hectares.
- Many rare and endangered plant species, reptiles and insects are found here.
- The area has many unique features from ecological, archaeological, historical and forestry point of view.
‘Kuyili -The Ballad of the Warrior Girl’ :
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and French translation English short version of Mangai Kuyili, a freedom fighter from Tamil Nadu, in Delhi.
- Ravi wrote the historical story of Kuyili alias Veera Mangai, who was the first woman fighter in the country’s freedom struggle, and was the commander of the women’s force of Rani Velu Nachiyar, titled “The Ballad of the Warrior Girl Kuyili” in the form of English poetry.
August 15: Indian Independence Day
- India’s Independence Day is observed on 15th August every year to commemorate India’s independence from the British on 15th August 1947.
- India is celebrating its 78th Independence Day.
Important Facts:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag for the 11th time at the Red Fort.
- Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ramagopal Naidu, Ravikumar and Himayun Muzzamil Bhatt of the Rashtriya Rifles have been awarded the Keerthi Chakra.
- The NIT Puducherry Civil Engineering team at Karaikal has bagged the first prize for developing a device to attract floating debris in a river.
- Govind Mohan has been appointed as Union Home Secretary.
- Rahul Naveen has been appointed as the new Director of Enforcement Department.
- Known as the Chinese Giant of Indian Hockey, Sreejesh recently retired and Hockey India released his jersey number ’16’ in his honour.