Gandhinagar, Feb 2 (IANS): Gujarat got it's fourth Ramsar site on Wednesday, World Wetland Day, in the Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Jamnagar district. Resident Commissioner Arti Kanwar received the designation certificate of the sanctuary from union minister Bhupender Yadav in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

February 2nd is celebrated all over the world, commemorating the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International importance in 1971 in the city of Ramsar (Iran), aiming to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and planet.

In an event organized at Sultanpur National Park, Gurugram in Haryana, Resident Commissioner Arti Kanwar received the designation certificate of Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary from union minister Bhupender Yadav.

Khijadia Bird Sanctuary is unique having both fresh water lakes, salt and freshwater marshlands. It is spread over an area of 6.05 km. Before Indian independence, a check dam was built for storing the waters of the Ruparel river just before it entered the sea. Over the years with fresh water of the rain and river on one side and salt water of the sea on the other side, a unique area was formed here.

The sanctuary is located at the watershed of Ruparel river and Kalindri in the North East coastal region of Jamnagar district in the Gulf of Kutch and has a very special and unique ecosystem. The sanctuary is now part of Marine National Park, Jamnagar, the first marine national park in the country.

Noted Indian ornithologist, late Salim Ali who visited the sanctuary in 1984, reportedly sited 104 species in a single day.

Gujarat now has four Ramsar site including the Nal Sarovar Sanctuary, Thol Wildlife Sanctuary near Ahmedabad and Wadhwana wetland in Vadodara.

The launching of a geographical map of wetlands in India made by the Space Application Center, ISRO, Ahmedabad also took place on this occasion.