The Sirpur wetland is situated in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The Sirpur wetland is an important historical lake commonly named Pakshi Vihar (bird sanctuary). This wetland is located in ward no. 1 which is on the outskirts of the city. The wetland has an area of 161 ha. and the catchment area is about 1000 ha. It has a mixed watershed mostly rural, with some parts falling in the urban areas and also on the northern, southern, and western sides. The Wetland comes under the jurisdiction of Indore City Municipal Corporation and they are the custodians of the wetland. The wetland is a man-made wetland but over the centuries it has acquired all the natural characteristics. It is not only important for its aesthetic value but it provides immense ecological services such as being an important source of water and helping groundwater recharge in the downstream areas. Sirpur wetland is also culturally important to the local communities of the city. The wetland supports a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is an important nesting place for terrestrial and aquatic migratory & residential birds. The diverse flora & fauna provides ideal habitat in the form of food and shelter for a large number of migratory birds during the winter season. Presently, the wetland is being developed as a bird sanctuary and ecological learning center.

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.