Two sites in Haryana have been recognised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Beside the two sites in Haryana, 2 sites in Gujarat too were recognised, taking the number of such sites to 46 in the country.

The Union Environment Ministry said Sultanpur in Gurgaon and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar — have been included in the Ramsar list.

The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain an international Network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits”.

Haryana’s Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary is a human-made freshwater wetland and the largest in Haryana. Over 250 bird species use the sanctuary throughout the year as a resting and roosting site. The site supports more than 10 globally threatened species including the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagle, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, and Black-bellied Tern.

The Sultanpur National Park in Haryana supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory waterbirds at critical stages of their life cycles.