Chandigarh’s Sukhna Wetland Designated as Ramsar Site

• Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh was designated a Ramsar Site on 15 October 2026, taking India’s total to 103 Ramsar Sites.
• Location: Chandigarh, at the foothills of the Outer Himalayas, near the Shivalik Hills.
• Type: Peri-urban reservoir.
• Ecological Importance: Regulates water and sediment flows from its catchment and supports resident and migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
• Important Species: Common pochard (Aythya ferina) and Pallas’s fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus).
• Ramsar Convention: An international treaty adopted in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran, for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
• India: Became a party to the Ramsar Convention in 1982.

Prelims MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements about Sukhna Wetland:

1. It is located in Chandigarh.
2. It supports migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
3. It is situated in the Western Ghats.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only.

Explanation: Sukhna Wetland is located in Chandigarh, near the Shivalik Hills, not the Western Ghats.

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