Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve
Protected area in Gujarat, India
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Legal protected status
Originally proposed as a "Bird Sanctuary"
The Gujarat State forest department had originally proposed that Chari Dhandh be declared as the "Kutch bird sanctuary" because it is much larger than the famous Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. The Gujarat state Wildlife Board agreed to the demand on 26 June 2002, but later it was decided to accord Chari-Dhand wetland the status of a "conservation forest", as it would be of greater benefit to the local populace.
Currently granted lower level protection as a "Protected or Reserve Forest"
The wetland was originally spread over 22,700 hectares (227 km2), out of which 80 km2 was the water filled area. Gujarat State Forest Department has accorded it the legal status of a "Protected or Reserve Forest" in 2008 after 20 years of lobbying by local conservationists.
Ramsar Convention site
Along with Banni Grasslands Reserve it is a proposed "Ramsar Convention site – Wetland of International importance" and listed on its website. It was declared Ramsar site on 3 February 2026.
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Wetland
Flora
There are also efforts to replace alien invasive Gando Bawal thorn tree (Prosopis juliflora) with useful trees like Khara (Salvadora oleoides) and Mitha pilus (Salvadora persica) on the periphery of the Chari lake as part of the new conservation measures.
Fauna
The abundance of water during the monsoons attracts birds to this, one of India's unique wetlands. Thousands of flamingos in their mating plumage, common cranes and other wetland birds including hundreds of painted storks and spoonbills among others can be spotted here. The wetland also attracts chinkara, wolves, caracal, desert cats and desert foxes besides endangered birds.
Chir Batti
In dark nights an unexplained strange dancing light phenomena known locally as Chir Batti (Ghost lights) is known to occur here, in the banni grasslands and its seasonal marshy wetlands and in the adjoining desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch.
Conservation
Research and education
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) had its field station at Chhari-Dhand in Banni grasslands from Jan 1990 to 1995 for the Bird Migration study project (S.A. Hussain) and grassland ecology project headed by Dr. Asad Rahmani. It now organizes Nature Education Camps here.
Eco tourism development
The district administration has chosen the Chari Dhandh wetland to create basic facilities for tourists. The Gujarat State forest department is preparing a project for Chari Dhandh development along with Dhinodhar hills in Nakhatrana taluka to make a circuit comprising Dhorado in interior Banni, Chari Dhandh and Dhinodhar to be a scenic route for nature lovers. As it is shallow water body, it could be used to promote boating providing employment to the local people, whose main activity has been restricted to fishing till now. There is also a suggestion to set up a Nature Interpretation Centre at the nearby Fulary village, the centre will provide knowledge of the wetland to the tourists.