Surha Tal
lake and bird sanctuary in Ballia district, Uttar pradesh, India
Surha Tal, locally called Suraha Taal, officially recognised as Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, is an oxbow lake located in Mairitar in Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is an oval-shaped wetland with a maximum reported area of 34.32 km2 (13.25 sq mi) and lies about 17 km (11 mi) north of Ballia, near the left bank of the Ganga River. On 19 January 2026, it was designated as a Ramsar site by the Ramsar Convention, making it India's 100th Ramsar site after official announcement on 5 June 2026.
Geography
Surha Tal is situated in the Middle Ganga Plain and owes its origin to the meandering of the Ganges. It is an oxbow lake fed by three seasonal channels–Garai River, Budhi River and Madha Nala, and drains into the Ganga through Kathar Nala, a 23-km outlet. The flow in Kathar Nala can reverse during high floods in the Ganges and Sarayu rivers.
The lake's extent varies seasonally, reaching its maximum extent during the months of August–September. The wetland plays a key role in flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, and supporting agriculture in the surrounding region. It was declared a bird sanctuary by the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 1991 and is recognised for its rich avifaunal diversity, hosting both resident and migratory birds.
Studies of the lake's water quality have indicated stable physico-chemical parameters suitable for aquatic biodiversity.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Surha Tal” as lake and bird sanctuary in Ballia district, Uttar pradesh, India. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as lake and bird sanctuary in Ballia district, Uttar pradesh, India. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q17394587. Authority coordinates are 25.850, 84.167. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2026 and 1991.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Surha Tal”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Surha Tal primary sources, Surha Tal archive and Surha research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Surha Tal”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Surha Tal” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.