Tamil Nadu has 20 wetlands on the Ramsar list of internationally important sites, and three of them are within an hour or two of Chennai. They are Pallikaranai Marsh inside the city, and Vedanthangal and Karikili bird sanctuaries in Chengalpattu district. The full list, with dates and areas, is kept by the Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority, and the table below is taken from it.
Two points cause confusion and are worth settling. Pulicat Lake, the flamingo lagoon north of the city, is not on the Tamil Nadu list. And Ramsar status does not create a new protected area; it adds an international tag to sites that, in this state, are mostly already sanctuaries or reserve forests.
The full list of 20
| Ramsar site | District | Designated | Area (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary | Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur | 19-08-2002 | 38,500 |
| Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary | Tirunelveli | 08-11-2021 | 72.04 |
| Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary | Ramanathapuram | 08-11-2021 | 260.47 |
| Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve | Ramanathapuram | 08-04-2022 | 52,671.88 |
| Vembannur Wetland Complex | Kanniyakumari | 08-04-2022 | 19.75 |
| Vellode Bird Sanctuary | Erode | 08-04-2022 | 77.19 |
| Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary | Tiruvarur | 08-04-2022 | 43.77 |
| Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary | Chengalpattu | 08-04-2022 | 40.35 |
| Karikili Bird Sanctuary | Chengalpattu | 08-04-2022 | 58.44 |
| Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest | Chennai | 08-04-2022 | 1,247.54 |
| Pichavaram Mangrove | Cuddalore | 08-04-2022 | 1,478.64 |
| Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary | Ramanathapuram | 08-04-2022 | 96.89 |
| Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex | Kanniyakumari | 08-04-2022 | 94.23 |
| Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary | Tiruvarur | 08-04-2022 | 112.64 |
| Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary | Ariyalur | 24-05-2023 | 453.7 |
| Longwood Shola Reserved Forest | The Nilgiris | 24-05-2023 | 116.01 |
| Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary | Tiruppur | 16-01-2024 | 125.87 |
| Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary | Villupuram | 16-01-2024 | 5,151.6 |
| Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary | Ramanathapuram | 15-07-2024 | 230.49 |
| Therthangal Bird Sanctuary | Ramanathapuram | 15-07-2024 | 29.30 |
Dates are in day-month-year format, as the authority publishes them. Areas are rounded to two decimals.
How the list grew
For two decades Tamil Nadu had only one Ramsar site. Point Calimere on the Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur coast was designated in August 2002. Then designations came quickly:
- November 2021: Koonthankulam (Tirunelveli) and Chitrangudi (Ramanathapuram).
- 8 April 2022: eleven sites in one go, including all three Chennai-area wetlands, the Gulf of Mannar and Pichavaram.
- May 2023: Karaivetti (Ariyalur) and Longwood Shola in the Nilgiris, the only hill-forest wetland on the list.
- January 2024: Nanjarayan (Tiruppur) and Kazhuveli (Villupuram).
- July 2024: Sakkarakottai and Therthangal, both in Ramanathapuram.
Ramanathapuram now has the most sites of any district, with five. The biggest by far is the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve at over 52,000 hectares. The smallest are the Vembannur wetland complex in Kanniyakumari, under 20 hectares, and Therthangal, just under 30.
The three near Chennai
Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest is the only Ramsar site inside the city, and the largest of the three at 1,247.54 hectares. It is a freshwater marsh on the southern side of Chennai, between Velachery and the IT corridor.
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, 40.35 hectares, is one of the country’s oldest bird sanctuaries. The Forest Department dates it to 1936 and lists egrets, herons, ibises, painted storks and spoonbills among its winter birds.
Karikili Bird Sanctuary, 58.44 hectares, sits about 8 km north of Vedanthangal. Its Ramsar information sheet describes two rain-fed irrigation tanks where spot-billed pelicans and Oriental darters breed.
All three were designated on the same day, 8 April 2022, so they turn four together next April.
What Ramsar status changes, and what it does not
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty. A listed site gets attention, monitoring and a duty on the government to keep its ecological character, but the day-to-day protection still comes from Indian law. In Tamil Nadu that means the Wild Life (Protection) Act for sanctuaries and the forest laws for reserve forests. It also means the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, which the Union environment ministry notified on 26 September 2017, according to the state wetlands authority.
That authority was reconstituted by a government order dated 24 December 2024. The forest minister is chairperson and the Chief Secretary is vice-chairperson. Its jobs include keeping a digital inventory of wetlands, deciding which activities are allowed or barred inside notified wetlands, and reviewing management plans.
The authority’s list of 100 wetlands for notification under the 2017 rules is the bigger list to watch. It includes the Ramsar sites, but also Pulicat, Ennore Creek and dozens of village tanks in Tiruvallur district. Its home page also carries an interactive map of the Ramsar sites.
Quick answers
How many Ramsar sites does Tamil Nadu have?
Twenty, according to the Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority’s list.
Which Ramsar sites are near Chennai?
Pallikaranai Marsh in Chennai, and Vedanthangal and Karikili bird sanctuaries in Chengalpattu district.
Is Pulicat Lake a Ramsar site?
Not on the state authority’s list of Tamil Nadu Ramsar sites. It is a bird sanctuary, and it is on the list of 100 wetlands proposed for notification under the 2017 rules.
What was the first Ramsar site in Tamil Nadu?
Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, designated on 19 August 2002.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Ramsar Convention and Ramsar sites of Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority)
- Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority home page
- Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority: constitution and functions
- Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Ramsar Site 2480 (Ramsar Sites Information Service)
- List of 100 wetlands for notification (Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority)
- Bird Sanctuaries (Tamil Nadu Forest Department)
