Buldhana: It is a matter of pride for Maharashtra as the world famous Lonar lake in Buldhana district has been added to ‘Ramsar sites’ with this designation it will now get the highest level of protection.
The convention on wetlands of international importance (i.e. Ramsar Convention) is an international treaty that provides for international operation for the conservation of wetlands. It was signed on February 2, 1971, Ramsar in Iran. Therefor, a Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance.
The other wetland land added to the list of Ramsar site is Sur Sarovar, a bird heaven in Agra. Sur Sarovar stands at 2,40 while Lonar lake is at 2,441 place.
With the Lonar lake getting the designation, It is expected that the decision regarding the conservation and development of the lake would now be taken directly at national level.
The Lonar crater was formed by the impact of a meteorite on basalt bedrock several thousand years ago and it remains a subject of great interest for geologists and scientist across the world. The Lake water recently turned complete pink which attracted many scientists attention.
Not just the crater, but the 365 hectare area around the lake is also an example of rich bio- diversity. The sweet water foun- tains in the area has only added to its richness. The area boasts of 160 species of birds, 46 kinds of reptiles and 12 varieties of mammals besides 55-60 different kinds of butterflies. It also has 30 types of herb plants.
