Attachment
Secondly, the dam is home to around 11 Schedule I turtle species. Ramsar status recognises wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, adopted in Iran in 1971.
The impasse followed directions issued earlier this year by the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to the principal secretary of environment, forest and climate change and the district magistrates of Pilibhit and Balrampur to prepare Ramsar nomination proposals for Sharda Sagar Dam and Chittorgarh Reservoir, PTR divisional forest officer (DFO) Manish Singh said. Fishing nets will also trap turtles and crocodiles, posing a threat to their survival and population growth,” Singh said. Meanwhile, forest authorities objected to the irrigation department’s auction of commercial fishing rights in the reservoir, warning that fishing nets could trap protected aquatic species. “The auction of the dam’s water area for commercial fishing is illegal as crocodiles mainly prey on fish species. He also warned that commercial fishing could threaten thousands of migratory birds visiting the reservoir each winter and alleged that the auction violated the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. The designation aims to promote wetland conservation and sustainable use and could strengthen Sharda Sagar’s recognition as a biodiversity and ecotourism destination.