Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements.
Under Ramsar Convention, it is mandatory on the part of the Government of India to protect and conserve all the wetlands in the territory of India.
The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 were framed by the Government of India based on the recommendations of Ramsar Convention.
The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 encompass the drainage area or catchment regions of the wetlands as determined by the authority.
Which of the statement given above is/are correct?
1 and 2
2 and 3
Only 3
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty concerning the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
It was adopted in the city of Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and entered into force in 1975.
India became a party to the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982.
Under the Convention, contracting parties designate suitable wetlands for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
It emphasizes the wise use of all wetlands, effective management of listed Ramsar sites and international cooperation.
However, it does not compel the Government of India to declare every wetland in the country protected under a uniform statutory regime. Therefore, Statement 1 is not correct.
The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 were notified by the Central Government under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
The statutory basis of these Rules was the Environment Protection Act; it is not correct to state that they were framed on the recommendations of the Ramsar Convention. Therefore, Statement 2 is not correct.
Under the 2010 Rules, the zone of direct influence, drainage area or catchment region determined by the authority could also be included in the protection framework along with the wetland. Therefore, Statement 3 is correct.
Activities in a catchment area can alter wetland ecology by influencing the flow of sediments, pollutants and nutrients.
Therefore, effective wetland management is not confined to the waterlogged area and also considers the associated catchment.
The 2010 Rules provided for restrictions on activities such as wetland reclamation, establishment of industries, dumping of solid waste and discharge of untreated effluents.
The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 replaced the 2010 Rules.
The 2017 Rules assigned a major role to State and Union Territory Wetland Authorities.