Indore becomes the first wetland city of India, along with Udaipur: Only two to gain global recognition
Indore becomes the first wetland city of India, along with Udaipur: Only two to gain global recognition
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Ahilya Nagri, Indore and the city of lakes, Udaipur have become the first wetland cities of India to be accredited globally among the ‘wetland cities’ under the Ramsar Convention. The announcement for the accreditation was made Friday night, on 24th January 2025 ahead of the World Wetlands Day that falls on February 2 every year. The Independent Advisory committee was established on Wetland City Accreditation, which accredited 31 new cities to the list that includes two from India. Bhopal, the state capital of Madhya Pradesh was also nominated, however it missed out on the accreditation by the committee.

The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty between 172 countries of the world that lays down the framework for conservation and a cautious wise use of the wetlands as well as their resources through local, regional and global actions and international cooperation. This convention on wetlands was adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Presently, 85 cities of India have been protected under the treaty.

‘Accreditation’ is the international recognition of the cities that value their natural and man-made wetlands. It is granted to only those cities that are able to satisfy the six point international criteria, such as adopting conservation measures for wetlands and their ecosystem services. Accreditation is carried with the objective of promoting conservation and the cautious use of urban and peri-urban wetlands. It also aims to provide sustainable socio-economic benefits to the locales. The list of 74 accredited wetland cities has highest 22 from China, followed by France with 9. Other cities include Trelew (Argentina), Mechelen (Belgium), Kasane-Kazungula, Shakawe (Botswana), Valdivia (Chile) and others from Iran, Japan, Morocco, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Serbia, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.   

Along with Indore and Udaipur, Bhopal was also nominated to be accredited by the committee in the August list. But due to ecological concerns, the city missed out to the feat. The citizen groups of the city have expressed their concerns regarding the damage to ecological character of the Bhoj wetland in the city. Last year, they had reported the matter to the Secretariat mentioning about the proposed road project through the catchment area of the Bhoj wetland, which might threaten the lifeline of the people, the wildlife as well as the waterbodies.

Bhupendra Yadav, Union Environment Minister shared the news on X, calling it a double joy! His post read, “I am thrilled to share that in a first for India, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Udaipur in Rajasthan have joined the list of 31 Wetland accredited cities in the world – a testimony to PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s vision of marching ahead aligning economy and ecology.

The achievement reflects the emphasis laid by India on holistic development of our urban areas without compromising on ecological conservation in both urban and rural centers.

Congratulations Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on this unique achievement!

Let us pledge to make Viksit Bharat a Green Bharat.”  

Expressing happiness over the significant achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to X. In a post he said, “Congratulations to Indore and Udaipur! This recognition reflects our strong commitment to sustainable development and nurturing harmony between nature and urban growth. May this feat inspire everyone to keep working towards creating greener, cleaner and more eco-friendly urban spaces across our nation.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav called it a moment of pride for the state as well as the nation. He said that the achievement reflected on Madhya Pradesh’s commitment towards environmental conservation. MP Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD) and Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has constantly worked for the restoration and integration of wetlands in the city. Notably, Indore could fulfill four of the nine parameters to attain its accreditation, working for the conservation and the betterment of its ponds and reservoirs. The Sirpur Lake which is a designated urban site, is known for the birds that assemble here, and will soon be developed into a word sanctuary.

As mentioned earlier, Udaipur is known as the city of lakes. It is a home to five major wetlands – Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar and Doodh Talai. They are not a mere sight to behold the culture of the city, but they also help in maintain the microclimate of the city, at the same time protecting the city from extreme weather conditions.

The accreditation of the two wonderful cities is just another feather to the big cap of achievements and something worth to be celebrated indeed. For, along with the urban development, we need sustainability too. The development and nature together shall go hand in hand. 

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