Bihar's Gokul Jalashay and Udaipur Jheel become Ramsar sites; India's total reaches 93
India added two wetlands from Bihar – Gokul Jalashay in Buxar and Udaipur Jheel in West Champaran – to the Ramsar list on 26 September 2025, taking the country's total to 93 Ramsar sites.
Summary
India added two new Ramsar sites from Bihar on 26 September 2025, as announced by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Gokul Jalashay (448 hectares) is in Buxar district and Udaipur Jheel (319 hectares) is in West Champaran district. With these additions, India has 93 Ramsar sites covering 13,60,719 hectares. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the listing and praised the people of Bihar for their role in environmental conservation. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Key facts
- Added
- 26 Sep 2025
- Gokul Jalashay
- 448 ha, Buxar district, Bihar
- Udaipur Jheel
- 319 ha, West Champaran district, Bihar
- India's total
- 93 Ramsar sites; 13,60,719 ha
- Announced by
- Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav
Practice MCQs 4 questions
With the addition of two Bihar wetlands on 26 September 2025, how many Ramsar sites does India have?
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Correct answer: C — 93
Gokul Jalashay and Udaipur Jheel took India's total to 93 Ramsar sites covering 13,60,719 ha.
In which district of Bihar is Gokul Jalashay, declared a Ramsar site in September 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Buxar
Gokul Jalashay (448 ha) is in Buxar district; Udaipur Jheel (319 ha) is in West Champaran.
Udaipur Jheel, added to the Ramsar list in September 2025, is located in which state?
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Correct answer: B — Bihar
Udaipur Jheel (319 ha) is in West Champaran district, Bihar.
Consider the following statements about the Ramsar sites added in September 2025: 1. Udaipur Jheel is larger in area than Gokul Jalashay. 2. Both new sites are in Uttar Pradesh. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2
Both are wrong: Gokul Jalashay (448 ha) is larger than Udaipur Jheel (319 ha), and both are in Bihar.