October 27, 2025: India has legally protected just 102 wetlands out of more than 2 lakh mapped by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), according to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The revelation has sparked serious concern among environmentalists, who warn that the country risks an ecological disaster if wetland protection continues at this slow pace.
The disclosure came in response to a plea by NatConnect Foundation, an environmental watchdog that urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite legal protection for wetlands — vital ecosystems that help regulate floods, recharge groundwater, and support migratory bird habitats.
In its response, the MoEFCC’s wetlands division confirmed that 189,644 wetlands have been physically verified and 116,425 boundaries demarcated by states and union territories. However, only 102 wetlands have been formally notified so far. “The verification process for the remaining wetlands is underway,” said wetland scientist Pankaj Verma in a letter to NatConnect, adding that the notification process is “in progress” and “closely monitored by the ministry.”
Environmentalists, however, say that the government’s slow pace could lead to irreversible ecological loss. “We are concerned because, in the absence of official notification, urban planners have been treating wetlands with scant respect — burying them under the guise of infrastructure development,” said B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation. He urged the Prime Minister to personally intervene and safeguard the country’s “blue lungs.”
To address these concerns, the ministry said it has launched the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) Guidelines, 2024, which aim to strengthen state-level efforts for holistic wetland restoration. The plan seeks to halt and reverse degradation through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach.
Source: The Times of India
