Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh has been designated as India’s 99th Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance. The freshwater wetland lies about 17 km from Aligarh. It came into being in 1852, after the construction of the Upper Ganga Canal. Ramsar Sites are recognised under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, signed in 1971 at Ramsar in Iran, which promotes the conservation and wise use of wetlands.