Bhubaneswar: The Satkosia Gorge which spreads over Mahanadi river in Odisha has been designated as Ramsar Site.
The Union environment ministry on Wednesday announced 10 wetland Ramsar sites including Satkosia 98196.72. India has now 64 Ramsar Sites.
The new sites include six wetlands in Tamil Nadu and one each from Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
Satkosia spreads along the magnificent gorge over Mahanadi river in Odisha. Established in 1976 as a wildlife sanctuary, Satkosia supports a rich ecosystem, representing a diverse population of floral and faunal species.
Satkosia is the meeting point of two biogeographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity. Satkosia Gorge wetland is a mosaic of marshes and evergreen forests.
The forests of these catchments play a vital role in the prevention of the gorge siltation. It also helps in maintaining a specific desirable depth of water crucial for the endangered gharial population and spawning of commercially important carps species.
Ramsar designation would help in conservation and management of these wetlands and wise use of their resources.