Enviro Talk

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What are Phumdis?

Phumdis are floating islands of vegetation, soil, and organic matter present in Loktak Lake, in Manipur, the largest freshwater lake in northeast India.

These floating landmasses are unique ecosystems that support biodiversity, provide livelihoods for local communities, and host the world's only floating national park.

What are Ramsar Sites?

Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention (formally known as the Convention on Wetlands), an international treaty signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

sites are recognized for their ecological value, including biodiversity support, flood control, water purification, and cultural significance. Countries commit to conserving and sustainably using these wetlands, with over 2,500 sites worldwide covering more than 250 million hectares.

Number of Ramsar Sites in India

of September 2025, India has 93 Ramsar Sites, spanning approximately 1.36 million hectares across 25 states and union territories.

Nadu has the highest number (20 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10).

Added Ramsar Sites in India (2024–2025)

I added several new sites in 2024 and 2025, bringing the total to 93. The most recent designations in 2025 include:

(Udaipur, Rajasthan) – Added in June 2025; a key bird habitat supporting migratory species.

(Phalodi, Rajasthan) – Added in June 2025; renowned for Demoiselle cranes and local biodiversity

(Buxar, Bihar) – Added in September 2025; an oxbow lake vital for fisheries and flood mitigation.

(West Champaran, Bihar) – Added in September 2025; a freshwater lake ecosystem for waterbirds.

(Tamil Nadu) – Added in early 2025; supports over 90 bird species.

(Tamil Nadu) – Added in early 2025; a coastal wetland for migratory waterfowl.

(Sikkim) – Added in 2025; a sacred lake in the Himalayas with high ecological value.

These additions align with India's National Wetland Conservation Programme and global sustainability goals. For a full state-wise list, refer to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) resources.

Stages of anaerobic decomposition:

Landfills produces methane by anaerobic decomposition process. The anaerobic decomposition occurs in four stages.

1. Hydrolysis
2. Acidogenesis
3. Acetogenesis
4. Methanogenesis

Hydrolysis: In this stage, the complex organic materials are converted into simpler organic materials.

For example, The complex organic materials present in municipal waste-

Cellulose are converted into sugars by cellulases enzymes

Proteins are converted into amino acids by proteases enzymes

The lipids are converted into fatty acids By lipases

The decomposition process also releases the inherent water bound in food waste, kitchen waste and yard waste. The moisture is also released from the compaction.

The the simpler soluble organic materials are dissolved into the water by the leaching process and the liquid thus produced called leachate. The organic content of the leachate becomes very high. Thus the BOD and COD of the produced liquid is also increased.

The gases released in this stage is carbon dioxide.
This process occurs in the from days to week in freshly dumped waste.

This stage is also limited by metal leaching due to netrral pH.

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