#### Udaipur Needs Wetland City Signage

Udaipur, Udaipur has been internationally recognised as a "Ramsar Wetland City" by the United Nations Ramsar Convention—one of only 31 cities in the world to receive this honour. However, the city still lacks any signage reflecting this prestigious status.

The demand for appropriate signboards was raised during a lake dialogue session held on Sunday. Environmental experts stressed the urgent need for boards inscribed with "Udaipur: Ramsar Wetland City" in both Hindi and English to be installed at key entry points such as the airport, railway station, bus stands, lakefronts, and major tourist attractions.

Dr. Anil Mehta, a member of the Environmental Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Government of India, noted that despite congratulations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, local authorities have failed to give this achievement the recognition it deserves.

He emphasized that the Ramsar designation comes with a collective responsibility to protect Udaipur’s interconnected lakes and strengthen its ecological balance.

Lake conservationist Tej Shankar Paliwal referred to the 2018 Supreme Court directive which mandates that all lakes included in ISRO’s Wetland Atlas fall under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, specifically Section 4. Udaipur’s lakes qualify under this rule, he said, calling for stricter enforcement of wetland regulations.

Environmentalist Nandkishore Sharma added that Udaipur is also a part of the National River Cities Alliance formed by the Government of India. He suggested that signage displaying "Udaipur: River City" should also be installed at appropriate locations.

Educationist Kushal Rawal urged the administration to identify and protect the Zone of Influence around lakes as per Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal directives, along with Ministry of Environment guidelines.

Senior citizen Drupad Singh stressed that it is not just the government’s duty but also a citizen’s responsibility to raise awareness and contribute to the conservation of Udaipur as both a Ramsar Wetland City and a River City.

The session began with a lake clean-up drive, where participants removed garbage and weeds from the lake surface and banks.