The Madhya Pradesh State Wetland Authority has been working towards getting two sites designated as Ramsar sites for a while now. Marking this World Environment Day, on June 5, 2023 the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), received certificates for Sirpur Wetland and Yashwant Sagar assigned as Ramsar sites.

A Ramsar Site is basically a wetland site designated to be of international importance. These wetlands are protected under strict guidelines of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. As of May 2023, there are 75 Ramsar Sites across India.

On June 5, IMC also organised an Environment’s Day program at Sirpur lake, where a live message by Prime Minister of India was broadcasted. Prominent member of the parliament such as Shankar Lalwani and Pushyamitra Bhargava planted saplings to generate public awareness.

Notably, a new Amrit Dharohar Yojana was also launched on World Environment Day, 2023, to ensure conservation of the existing Ramsar sites through public participation. Eventually, these Ramsar sites will become centres of eco-tourism and a source of green jobs for thousands of people.