Chennai, Aug 4 (IANS): With Six Wetlands from Tamil Nadu getting international Ramsar recognition, the state now has 10 Ramsar sites and is at the top of the list along with Uttar Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin in a statement on Thursday said, "This international recognition is a matter of great pride and goes hand in hand with the Tamil Nadu Wetland mission. I congratulate the state forest department for this sterling achievement."

Ramsar site is a wetland designated to be of international importance under the 'Ramsar Convention' or 'The Convention of Wetlands' and is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established by UNESCO in the year 1971 and came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands and wise sustainable use of their resources.

The sites in Tamil Nadu that received Ramsar recognition on Wednesday are -- Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere reserve in Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram, Vembannur wetland complex in Kanniyakumari, Vellode Bird Sanctuary in Erode, Vedathangal bird sanctuary in Chengalpattu and Udayamarthandapuram Bird sanctuary in Tiruvarur. The Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav announced the new Ramsar sites in the country on Wednesday night.

India, it is to be noted, was aiming for a Ramsar tag to 75 of its wetlands as part of the 75th year of Indian Independence. Still, 64 sites in the country have been classified as Ramsar sites covering an area of 12,50,361 hectares.

The Tamil Nadu forest department has been playing a major role in getting the Ramsar tag for the wetlands in the state by conducting proper research and meticulous paperwork while submitting the credentials of the wetlands to be included in the Ramsar tag.