News: Gogabeel Lake became India’s 94th Ramsar site and Bihar’s sixth.
About Gogabeel Lake
- Location: It is located in Katihar district of Bihar.
- Type of lake: It is an oxbow wetland.
- River associated: It is situated between the rivers Ganga and Mahananda, and during floods the lake joins these two rivers.
- Size: The Ramsar site covers 86.63 hectares.
- Conservation Reserve: It was notified as a Community Reserve and a ‘Conservation Reserve’ in 2019, by the Bihar Government.
- It is conserved and managed by the local community as the state’s first community reserve.
- Biodiversity importance:
- More than 90 bird species are recorded, with about 30 migratory.
- Threatened species include the Vulnerable Lesser Adjutant Stork.
- Near Threatened species include Black-necked Stork, White Ibis, and White-eyed Pochard.
- It serves as a breeding ground for Vulnerable fish species Walago attu.
- It provides habitat for the Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspici lata) and the Helicopter Catfish.
- Festival: Local cultural traditional festivals like Sirva, Adra , Chhat are observed in this wetland.
About Ramsar Sites in Bihar
- Bihar now has 6 Ramsar sites and stands at 3rd position in the country after Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- The previous 5 Bihar Ramsar sites are
- Gokul Jalashay (Buxar)
- Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran)
- Kabar Jheel/Kabar Taal (Begusarai) – ( Bihar first Ramsar site)
- Nagi Bird Sanctuary (Jamui) – listed in 2024.
- Nakti Bird Sanctuary (Jamui) – listed in 2024.
