Noida: Dhanauri in Greater Noida is home to about 217 bird species, including the sarus crane, the state bird of UP. It also meets at least two of the criteria to be declared a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. However, officially it is not a wetland.In 2017, Supreme Court (In MK Balakrishnan vs. Union of India and Others) It was directed that all 2,01,503 wetlands mapped by the Union of India be protected as per Rule 4 of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010.ISRO conducted a survey in March 2024 and updated this figure to 2,31,195. The court emphasized that activities prohibited in Rule 4 – such as reclamation, conversion to non-wetland use, and any action that might disturb their ecological character – were not permitted. Expressing concern about the delay in rule notification and lack of audited expenditure on conservation funds, the SC ordered the Center to finalize and notify the updated wetland rules by a certain deadline.Responsibility for wetland management previously rested with the Union Ministry. In 2017, new rules came into effect handing it over to the states. According to the ministry, the process of declaring any wetland as a Ramsar site involves a five-step process. It will begin with the UP government conducting a feasibility assessment and declaring intent for designation. In the Dhanauri case, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, rather than the state government, took the first step.On June 5, 2019 – World Environment Day – the ministry wrote to the state to submit a proposal to declare Dhanauri a mega wetland and sarus crane sanctuary so that the process of obtaining the Ramsar tag could be initiated by the Centre. This has still not happened.After years of demanding Ramsar tag for rich bird habitat, environmentalists approached National Green Tribunal in 2023, after which the latter sent a series of instructions.Yet, UP has not notified Dhanauri as a wetland, and the application to get the Ramsar tag is lost in the bureaucratic maze.State forest officials have repeatedly come before the NGT with replies, clarifications and promises, but the situation does not seem to be changing in any direction. Appearing for the state before the tribunal’s principal bench during the first hearing following environmentalist Anand Arya’s plea in October 2023, the lawyer said the proposal for notification was submitted to the wetland authority on August 4, 2022.“The wetland authority required some more documents which were submitted on April 1, 2023. The wetland authority is now considering issuing a notification to declare Dhanauri as a wetland site,” the lawyer said. The lawyer sought four weeks’ time to inform the NGT about the status of the case. Nearly 100 weeks have passed since then.UP’s counsel, who appeared in the same case in September 2025, again sought adjournment to seek instructions as to whether the state is ready to send to the ministry a proposal to declare Dhanauri as a Ramsar site, and whether the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has any objection.However, the NGT had already asked YEIDA about its status. Four months ago, on May 5, 2025, the lawyer appearing for the authority had said that every possible action would be taken and a report would be filed within three weeks.Even before this, on September 25, 2024, the UP lawyer had said that the proposal to get Ramsar tag for Dhanauri was prepared by the nodal officer. “But it has to be sent by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of the state to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,” the lawyer had said.On January 22, 2025, the state counsel had submitted before the NGT that the wetland authority has decided to declare the site as a wetland. The counsel again sought four weeks’ time to place on record the status of the decision taken by the UP authorities along with the relevant notification.Petitioner Arya said the bureaucrats would prefer that Dhanauri be a barren land and not a wetland. “Once they declare it a wetland, the area should be conserved and the species protected. But if they leave it to turn into a barren land, they can gradually expand the real estate industry, which will give monetary returns,” he said.Arya said that the fight to declare Dhanauri as a wetland was going on for years, but the proposal for Noida International Airport in Jewar was approved within a short time. The project received “in-principle” approval from the Center on May 8, 2018, and environmental clearance on March 9, 2020.“I raised my voice during the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted for the project, after which the responsibility for the conservation plan was given to the Wildlife Institute of India,” he said.A conservation plan has been specifically prepared for the important species of sarus crane and peacock in the project area. The scheme outlines conservation of water bodies to support wildlife habitats, apart from initiatives to raise public awarenessImportance of birds. There is a special condition in the EIA – that the Dhanauri Conservation Plan must be implemented in letter and spirit before the airport begins operations.What is Ramsar tag?The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands that came into force in 1975. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971.As of February 2024, more than 2,500 Ramsar sites worldwide, protecting more than 2.5 million square km, have been declared with the participation of 171 national governments.Designating wetlands as Ramsar sites supports global biodiversity conservation efforts. These sites are valuable to both national and global communities. Benefits include enhancing the country’s voice at international wetland conservation forums,Site reputation and support, access to updated conservation standards and guidelines, receive expert advice on wetland management and foster international collaboration. Additionally, Ramsar designation can lead to funding opportunities through small grants and collaboration with external aid agencies, which will aid in the conservation and wise use of wetlands.Umesh, a resident of Thasarana village located in the center of Dhanauri wetland, says that the scope for earning livelihood in this area is limited. “Most of it is private land and people cannot do farming because of perennial waterlogging,” he said. Umesh knows little about the Ramsar tag but believes conservation is important as hundreds of bird species thrive there. “If there are conservation plans and the area is developed as a proper tourist destination, it can provide some employment opportunities to the local people,” he says.College student Rohit is fascinated by the different creatures he sees in the area. While plucking lotus from the pond he says that the site is a gift to the local people. “Wetlands introduce us to the bounty of nature,” he says.
