Both Centre, state must act to protect wetlands

Given wetlands include village ponds, major lakes and everything in between, all of India's 231,195 wetlands may not need protection.

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But just 102 of them being notified so far — the status creates a legal obligation to conserve these — underlines the scant attention paid to wetland preservation. Wetlands are not just cornerstones of avian conservation but also render several ecosystem services depending on their location. High altitude wetlands play the role of conduits for glacial melt that feed rivers. Mangroves in coastal areas function as both important habitats and ingress buffers. Inland ones can be important dr