Bhoj wetland

About Bhoj Wetland: 

• Location: It is located in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• It consists of two contiguous human-made reservoirs, the upper and lower lakes.
• The Upper lake is called Bhojtal (Bada Talaab) and the Lower Lake is known as Chhota Talaab.
• The Upper Lake is surrounded by Van Vihar National Park on the south, human settlements on the east and north, and agriculture fields on the west.
• The Upper Lake is a major source of potable water for Bhopal.
• Fauna: The lakes are very rich in biodiversity, particularly for macrophytes, phytoplankton and zooplankton.
• It has more than 15 kinds of fish and several vulnerable species, including turtles, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates.
• It was designated as the Ramsar site in 2002.

What is the Ramsar Convention?

• This convention was signed on 2nd February 1971 to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
• It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed in 1971, and places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’.

Q1: What is Wetland?

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season.

Source: Govt denies any threat to Bhoj Wetland delisting from Ramsar Convention list