Save Deepor Beel

— Deepor Beel, the State’s lone Ramsar Site and a wetland of immense significance, especially for the city, bears testimony to the havoc that unbridled urbanisation, human greed, and shockingly inert government authorities are perpetrating on the environment. Situated within the city precincts, the Beel, once spread over an area of 41 sq km, now covers barely 5 sq km. This once-pristine wetland is made to bear the brunt of many ills — from large-scale encroachment and heavy siltation from the denuded hills to accumulation of filth and toxic wastes from the Bharalu and Bahini rivers to growing industrial activities within its periphery. Add to it unregulated fishing practices, invasion of aquatic weeds, a railway line along the southern boundary, and quarrying within the Beel bionetwork, the survival prospects of this unique ecosystem look remote. The significance of Deepor lies on many counts. A natural wetland, it harbours a rich variety of flora and fauna including some 200 species of birds, many of which are endangered. It is a major storm-water storage basin for Guawhati, which experiences the severe water-logging every monsoon. It recharges groundwater, and is the best indicator of the city’s environmental status. The entire Deepor-Rani-Garbhanga belt, endowed with diverse wildlife and spectacular scenery, needs to be developed as a protected area with thrust on tourism promotion.

For restoring Deepor Beel, it is highly imperative that the anthropogenic and industrial pressures on the wetland are halted. Of late, there have been some efforts towards digging up the Beel bed and enhancing its water-retaining capacity. But the long-term survival prospects of the wetland are intrinsically linked to reducing human interference on its fragile ecosystem. Of equal importance is to extend protection to the green cover on the city’s hills, because widespread deforestation on the hills has a bearing on the accumulation of huge deposits of earth and silt on the Beel bed. And finally, it is not just Deepor, but thousands of other wetlands in the State that are on the verge of dying. Assam has a vast network of wetland with over 5,000 water bodies having a minimum area of 2.25 hectares. Apart from being economic assets that provide sustenance to lakhs, the ecological significance of these wetlands is simply immeasurable. If the wetlands are degraded and destroyed, Assam will lose a major part of its natural heritage and the damage on the environment will be irreparable. ASSAM TRIBUNE