Ramsar Sites in India Complete State-wise List, Latest Additions & UPSC Facts
India now has 103 Ramsar Sites after Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (Uttar Pradesh) were added on 15 October 2026. Here is the full state-wise list, every 2025–26 addition, and the facts UPSC actually tests.
In 2014, India had 26 Ramsar Sites. Today it has 103. That's nearly four times as many in just over a decade, and almost every new designation has turned into a potential Prelims question.
That's exactly why Ramsar Sites in India is one of the most frustrating topics for aspirants. The list keeps growing. Numbers you memorised in January are outdated by June. And UPSC loves to ask about the one wetland you skipped.
At Legacy IAS Academy, we've seen this topic trip up well-prepared aspirants year after year. So we've built this guide to do one job well: give you a complete, updated state-wise list, and show you how to remember it without drowning in names.
What Are Ramsar Sites? The Basics in 60 Seconds
A Ramsar Site is a wetland designated as being of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The treaty was signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, which is why 2 February is observed as World Wetlands Day.
- India joined: The Convention came into force for India on 1 February 1982.
- First Indian sites: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), both designated on 1 October 1981.
- Selection basis: A wetland must meet at least one of the Convention's nine criteria, covering unique wetland types, threatened species, waterbird populations and fish biodiversity.
- Domestic law: Wetlands in India are regulated under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, administered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
If you're building your Environment base from scratch, start with our GS3 Environment & Ecology notes before memorising the list.
Latest Ramsar Sites in India (2025–2026)
Here's the thing. UPSC rarely asks about a wetland designated twenty years ago unless it's iconic. It almost always asks about recent additions. This table is your highest-priority revision list.
| Ramsar Site | State / UT | Designated | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhna Wetland | Chandigarh | Oct 2026 | Chandigarh's first Ramsar Site |
| Sauj Jheel | Uttar Pradesh (Mainpuri) | Oct 2026 | Takes India's tally to 103 |
| Glaw Lake | Arunachal Pradesh (Lohit) | Aug 2026 | 101st site; Arunachal's first Ramsar Site |
| Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) | Uttar Pradesh (Ballia) | Jun 2026 | 100th site; an oxbow lake of the Ganga |
| Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh (Aligarh) | Apr 2026 | 99th site |
| Patna Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh (Etah) | Jan 2026 | Added ahead of World Wetlands Day 2026 |
| Chhari-Dhand | Gujarat (Kutch) | Jan 2026 | Seasonal desert wetland in Kutch |
| Siliserh Lake | Rajasthan (Alwar) | Dec 2025 | Reservoir near Sariska landscape |
| Kopra Jalashay | Chhattisgarh (Bilaspur) | Dec 2025 | Chhattisgarh's first Ramsar Site |
| Gogabeel Lake | Bihar (Katihar) | 2025 | Oxbow lake in the Ganga floodplain |
| Gokul Jalashay & Udaipur Jheel | Bihar | Sep 2025 | Added together, boosting Bihar to 6 |
| Khichan & Menar Wetland Complex | Rajasthan | Jun 2025 | Khichan is famous for demoiselle cranes (Kurja) |
| Sakkarakottai & Therthangal Bird Sanctuaries | Tamil Nadu | Feb 2025 | Took Tamil Nadu to 20 sites |
| Khecheopalri Wetland | Sikkim | Feb 2025 | Sikkim's first Ramsar Site; sacred lake |
| Udhwa Lake | Jharkhand | Feb 2025 | Jharkhand's first Ramsar Site |
Notice the pattern: "first Ramsar Site of a state" is a favourite UPSC angle. Jharkhand, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Chandigarh all got their first sites in 2025–26. Keep a separate one-line list of these. Track every new designation through our daily current affairs and the daily PIB summaries.
Complete State-wise List of Ramsar Sites in India
Below is the full state-wise list of all 103 Ramsar Sites in India, spread across 28 states and union territories, updated to October 2026.
| State / UT | No. | Ramsar Sites |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | 20 | Point Calimere WLS, Karikili BS, Pallikaranai Marsh RF, Pichavaram Mangrove, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Vembannur Wetland Complex, Vellode BS, Udhayamarthandapuram BS, Vedanthangal BS, Koonthankulam BS, Chitrangudi BS, Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex, Vaduvur BS, Kanjirankulam BS, Karaivetti BS, Longwood Shola RF, Nanjarayan BS, Kazhuveli BS, Sakkarakottai BS, Therthangal BS |
| Uttar Pradesh | 14 | Nawabganj BS, Parvati Arga BS, Saman BS, Samaspur BS, Sandi BS, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Upper Ganga River (Brijghat–Narora), Sur Sarovar, Haiderpur Wetland, Bakhira Sanctuary, Patna BS, Shekha Jheel BS, Jai Prakash Narayan BS (Surha Tal), Sauj Jheel |
| Bihar | 6 | Kanwar Lake (Kabar Taal), Nagi BS, Nakti BS, Udaipur Jheel, Gokul Jalashay, Gogabeel Lake |
| Odisha | 6 | Chilika Lake, Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Satkosia Gorge, Hirakud Reservoir, Tampara Lake, Ansupa Lake |
| Punjab | 6 | Harike Wetland, Kanjli Wetland, Ropar Wetland, Nangal WLS, Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve, Beas Conservation Reserve |
| Gujarat | 5 | Nalsarovar BS, Thol Lake, Wadhvana Wetland, Khijadiya WLS, Chhari-Dhand |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 5 | Wular Lake, Hokersar Wetland, Surinsar-Mansar Lakes, Hygam Wetland CR, Shallabugh Wetland CR |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5 | Bhoj Wetland, Sakhya Sagar, Sirpur Lake, Yashwant Sagar, Tawa Reservoir |
| Rajasthan | 5 | Keoladeo National Park, Sambhar Lake, Khichan Wetland, Menar Wetland Complex, Siliserh Lake |
| Karnataka | 4 | Ranganathittu BS, Aghanashini Estuary, Magadi Kere CR, Ankasamudra Bird CR |
| Himachal Pradesh | 3 | Pong Dam Lake, Chandra Taal, Renuka Wetland |
| Kerala | 3 | Vembanad-Kol Wetland, Ashtamudi Wetland, Sasthamkotta Lake |
| Maharashtra | 3 | Nandur Madhameshwar, Lonar Lake, Thane Creek |
| Haryana | 2 | Sultanpur National Park, Bhindawas WLS |
| Ladakh | 2 | Tso Moriri, Tso Kar |
| West Bengal | 2 | East Kolkata Wetlands, Sundarban Wetland |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 | Kolleru Lake |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | Glaw Lake |
| Assam | 1 | Deepor Beel |
| Chandigarh | 1 | Sukhna Wetland |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 | Kopra Jalashay |
| Goa | 1 | Nanda Lake |
| Jharkhand | 1 | Udhwa Lake |
| Manipur | 1 | Loktak Lake |
| Mizoram | 1 | Pala Wetland |
| Sikkim | 1 | Khecheopalri Wetland |
| Tripura | 1 | Rudrasagar Lake |
| Uttarakhand | 1 | Asan Conservation Reserve (Asan Barrage) |
| Total | 103 | 28 States & UTs |
Abbreviations: BS – Bird Sanctuary; WLS – Wildlife Sanctuary; RF – Reserve Forest; CR – Conservation Reserve.
Ramsar Sites in India: Superlatives and Unique Facts
Let's be honest. Nobody remembers 103 names equally well. But UPSC questions usually hinge on a site's unique feature, not its name alone. Learn these and you'll handle most questions.
Records You Must Know
- Largest site: Sundarban Wetland, West Bengal (about 4,230 sq km).
- Smallest sites: Renuka Wetland (Himachal Pradesh) and Vembannur Wetland Complex (Tamil Nadu), about 20 hectares each.
- Oldest sites: Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park, both from 1981.
- Most sites: Tamil Nadu (20), followed by Uttar Pradesh (14).
Unique Features UPSC Loves
- Loktak Lake (Manipur): Home to Keibul Lamjao, the world's only floating national park, and the endangered sangai deer.
- Lonar Lake (Maharashtra): Formed by a meteorite impact in basaltic rock.
- Chilika Lake (Odisha): India's largest coastal lagoon and home to Irrawaddy dolphins.
- Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan): India's largest inland salt lake and a flamingo wintering ground.
- East Kolkata Wetlands (West Bengal): A global model of natural wastewater treatment through fisheries and agriculture.
- Tso Moriri & Tso Kar (Ladakh): High-altitude wetlands and breeding grounds for the black-necked crane.
- Vembanad-Kol (Kerala): India's longest lake, linked to Kuttanad's below-sea-level farming.
Montreux Record: The Trap Question
The Montreux Record lists Ramsar Sites facing serious ecological change. Two Indian sites are currently on it: Keoladeo National Park and Loktak Lake. Chilika Lake was once listed but was removed in 2002 after successful restoration, which also earned it the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award.
Don't memorise Ramsar Sites as a list of names. Memorise them as a map. When you can see where each wetland sits — on a river, a coast, a desert or a plateau — the facts attach themselves. — Legacy IAS Faculty
How to Prepare Ramsar Sites in India for UPSC Prelims
You don't need hours. You need a system. Here's the one we recommend to our students:
- Map first. Plot every site on a blank India map, grouped by state. Pair this with your Geography notes so river systems and wetlands reinforce each other.
- Prioritise recent additions. Revise the 2025–26 table weekly until the exam.
- Learn by feature, not name. Attach one unique fact to each site: a species, a river, a record.
- Test yourself. Use our daily static quiz and solve Environment questions from UPSC Prelims previous year papers.
- Consolidate monthly. Our monthly current affairs compilations and PIB monthly compilations will catch any site you missed.
For Mains, wetlands connect to GS Paper III topics like conservation, climate resilience and environmental impact. Read the Environment section of the UPSC Mains syllabus, and practise linked questions from our Mains practice questions.
Frequently Asked Questions on Ramsar Sites in India
How many Ramsar Sites are there in India in 2026?
India has 103 Ramsar Sites as of 15 October 2026, after Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (Uttar Pradesh) were added. Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh became the 101st site in August 2026.
Which state has the most Ramsar Sites in India?
Tamil Nadu leads with 20 Ramsar Sites. Uttar Pradesh is second with 14, after a run of additions in 2026.
Which is the 100th Ramsar Site of India?
Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, became India's 100th Ramsar Site in June 2026.
Which Indian Ramsar Sites are on the Montreux Record?
Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur). Chilika Lake was removed from the Record in 2002.
Want structured Environment coverage with regular tests? Explore our UPSC Prelims course and the UPSC Prelims test series.
Key Takeaways
- India has 103 Ramsar Sites across 28 states and UTs, up from 26 in 2014.
- The newest are Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (UP), added on 15 October 2026.
- Tamil Nadu (20) and Uttar Pradesh (14) lead; revise these two states most carefully.
- Make a separate list of "first Ramsar Site of the state" designations, since UPSC favours this angle.
- Remember the Montreux Record pair, Keoladeo and Loktak, and Chilika's removal in 2002.
- Learn each site by location and unique feature on a map, not by rote name lists.
