Kopra Jalashay (Jalashya here means Reservoir) between 22.065” Latitude and 82.0518” Longitude at Takhatpur Block of Bilaspur district Chhattisgarh. It varies in elevation ranging from 287-295m above mean sea level, and situated at Bilaspur- Katghora Bypass Road NH 130. The reservoir is about 10 Kilometers west of Bilaspur City via road-route. This Jalashay is a catchment of river Mahanadi upper basin. The length of the Jalashay is 1680m with 113x103 M3 Volume area, 210 Ha. Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department (CGWRD). It was constructed in the year 1993 to aleviate regional water stress, the Jalashay serves both domestic and irrigation needs. The overflow from Kopra Jalashay is coupled to the Ghonga River, which subsequently joins the Maniyari River before converging with the Sheonath River. An irrigation canal, built in 2002, is utilized by vi lagers as needed, through coordination with the local irrigation department. Local communities also rely on the Jalashay for freshwater needs for livelihood through fisheries, co lection of aquatic plants as vegetables, anthropogenic usages, agricultural necessities, religious rituals, recreation activities. The habitat at and around the Jalashay supports good populations of plants, birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, amphibians etc. The Jalashay supports about 149 species of birds, more than 150 species of plants and different species of reptiles, amphibians and fishes.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.

A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent nonavian animal species.