Why in News?

• The sixth meeting of the State Wetland Authority was organized under the chairmanship of Rajasthan's Forest and Environment Minister Hemaram Chaudhary, in which many important decisions were taken for wetland conservation.

Key Points:

=> Important decisions taken in the meeting: Presently 67 wetlands are notified in the state, these will be increased to 100.

=> At present, there are 2 Ramsar sites of international fame in the state, Sambhar Lake and Keoladeo National Park.

=> Now the proposal to include Chandlai (Jaipur), Khichan (Jodhpur), Lunkaransar (Bikaner), Minar Talab (Udaipur) and Kanwas Bird Sanctuary (Kota) in the list of Ramsar sites will also be sent to the Government of India.

=> During the meeting, an amount of Rs 9 crore was approved for the demarcation, digital map, management plan and other conservation and development works of Sambhar Lake Wetland, Keoladeo National Park and notified wetlands.

=> The details of the conservation works of Sambhar Lake Wetland were presented in the meeting.

=> Here, decisions were taken regarding setting up a permanent treatment centre for birds, preparing a plan for tourism and removing encroachments related to illegal salt production in mission mode.