Asan Conservation Reserve

Asan Conservation Reserve Latest News

The Supreme Court recently clarified that a direction banning mining activities within a 10 km radius of the Asan wetland conservation reserve, a Ramsar site in Uttarakhand, would apply to other wetland conservation reserves across the country for the sake of parity.

About Asan Conservation Reserve

• It is located in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. 
• Spanning 444.4 ha, it is situated at the confluence of the Asan and Yamuna Rivers. 
• The Asan River, unlike other rivers which flow north to south, flows in a west to east direction.
• The reserve comprises the Asan Barrage and the wetland formed by damming the Asan River in 1967.
• The barrage created a freshwater reservoir with habitats ideal for migratory and resident birds.
• It was declared a Conservation Reserve in 2005 under Section 36A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It was declared a Ramsar site in 2020. It is the first Ramsar site in Uttarakhand. 
• It is also listed as an Important Bird Area (BNHS and BirdLife International) and is popular for sightings of native and migratory birds. 
• This biodiverse wetland lies strategically along the Central Asian Flyway, serving as a critical habitat for numerous migratory and resident species. 
• It is home to 330 species of birds, including critically endangered-white-rumped vulture, Baer’s pochard; endangered-Egyptian vulture, steppe eagle, black-bellied tern; and vulnerable-marbled teal, common pochard, Indian spotted eagle, etc.
• The wetland is especially known for hosting large flocks of ruddy shelduck during winter. 
• Beyond avifauna, the reserve supports a rich biological diversity with 78 invertebrate species, 49 fish species, 4 amphibians, 1 reptile, and 20 mammal species. 
• Among the fish, the endangered golden mahseer (Tor putitora) is particularly significant, as the wetland functions as an important feeding, migration, and spawning site.

News: TH

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