About Jai Prakash Narain Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) 

• It is a natural, perennial oxbow lake (U-shaped waterbody formed when a wide meander from a river is cut off). 
• Location: Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh
• Origin: Consolidated in 1991 from the land areas of 45 villages as Surha Tal. Renamed in 2002 to honour activist and political leader, Jai Prakash Narayan.
• Area: ~3432 hectares which expands to ~25,000 hectares during monsoons.
• Significance:
  • Rich avifaunal biodiversity: Vital wintering ground for migratory birds traveling along the Central Asian Flyway.
    • Notable fish include the vulnerable Wallago attu and Bagarius bagarius. 
    • The abundance of fish attracts the vulnerable fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus).
  • Major source of irrigation and groundwater recharge.
  • Historical, cultural, and religious value.

About Ramsar Convention

• It is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. 
  • India ratified the Convention in 1982.
• Three Pillars
  • Conservation of wetlands of international importance.
  • Wise use of all wetlands.
  • International cooperation on shared wetlands and migratory species.
• Criteria: A wetland must meet at least one of nine criteria established by the Convention.