Gogabeel Lake

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.