Chandigarh, Oct. 16 -- Sukhna Wetland has officially been declared a Ramsar site - an international recognition which will help strengthen conservation efforts besides putting it on the global map.

Instituted under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, the tag promotes the conservation and wise use of wetlands and preserving its biodiversity.

UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria welcomed the development, stating that it will boost conservation efforts.

Spread over 565 acres, Sukhna wetland is surrounded by a catchment area of more than 10,000 acres that includes a wildlife sanctuary.

Declared a national wetland in 1988, Sukhna serves as a habitat for a range of floral and fauna...