Encroachment in the Deepor Beel wetland is not new. Numerous protests, complaints and regular media reports about the degradation of this Ramsar site, and the urgency of protecting it have failed to shake the State government as desired. Constant encroachment by businesses and industries in the periphery of the wetland has not only shrunk the total area but has immensely polluted the water body. Among all concerns raised by activists, environmentalists, nature enthusiasts, and other concerned citizens, the cries of over 800 fishing families can be best related to the unvoiced cries of the numerous species of fish and birds that must have been screaming for immediate attention. Although they seek preservation of the site, the fishing community has sought protection of their livelihood and permission to build embankments to preserve the fish from being flown into the Brahmaputra. Panchpara Samabay Samity Limited, a co-operative society formed in 1976, comprises of 825 indigenous fishing families living near the Deepor Beel, comprising of 9 villages including Keotpara, NotunBasti, Hirapara, borbori, Nowapara, Hatuwapara, Medhipara, Matiya and Sokordou. As per the society of the indigenous fishing families, massive encroachments over the years have shrunken a large area of the wetland. Of the original 3,090 bighas, 4 katha and 19 lesa of Deepor beel; over 500 bighas are now being illegally taken over by individuals, converting the eco-sensitive zone into an industrial hub. Additionally, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation’s (GMC) choice of land for setting up of the garbage management project has only added to the rapidly deteriorating water quality of the Beel.
Have the migratory birds ceased to visit deepor beel?
The Assam government has announced plans to beautify the Deepor Beel to woo tourists and as a recreational space for the locals. Instead locals have claimed that with continuous degradation and increasing pollution of the area, the influx of migratory birds into this lush wetland has ceased in numbers over the years. Members of the Panchpara Samabay Samity Limited stated that constant sand mining from the periphery of the wetland has led to major disturbances in the ecosystem. A foremost consequence of that is the decreasing numbers of migratory birds in the area. The secretary of the Co-operative Society Gopal Das highlighted that truck loads of sand are carried away from the Beel every year, especially from February to May. This has not just polluted the water but disturbed the ecosystem balance. “About 85 thousand migratory birds of 219 species visit Deepor Beel every year. But in recent years, we have seen a significant decrease in numbers and species of birds. Some have ceased to come altogether,” Das said Nityanand Das, member of the Panchpara Samabay Samity, has alleged that there are several NGOs operating in the region who have been collecting funds from several sources for the preservation and restoration of the birds residing in the wetland, especially the migratory birds. “But they have done nothing to date. They are no experts and have only devoured the funds.” he further said.
Extinction of fish species from deepor beel impacts the local fishing community
Deepor Beel has been the source of livelihood for the 825 families residing in its surrounding areas. Members of the community have alleged that given the high pollution level in the water, many fish species have disappeared in recent years. They have claimed that while there were about 61 species of fish in the water body earlier, only 15 to 20 remain currently. They attribute this to the number of industries and warehouses along with the GMC wasteland at Boragaon. Although the old dumping site at Boragaon was closed due to its unscientific management, the untreated polluted water from the new garbage management site that flowed to the Deepor Beel degraded the water body considerably. Although the GMC is in the process of awarding a tender for setting up a proper garbage management plan at the site, the Corporation continues to dump the daily garbage collected from the city without any measures. The GMC started using the new Boragaon site in August. “Every day the Corporation dumps about 500 tons of garbage at the site without any precaution. A huge dump has already accumulated and this will only keep on increasing till the waste plant is built. The water from there will eventually flow to Deepor Beel, which is already polluted. There are sand mines, large industries, warehouses and then the dumping ground, all destroying the ecosystem,” Nityanand Das said.
Secure our livelihoods before implementing laws of wildlife sanctuary, demands fishermen
The Deepor Beel is connected to the Brahmaputra through the Khonajan channel. Every year around April, the fishing community releases fish seedlings into the water body for harvesting. By the time the seedlings grow and are ready to harvest around September-October, the water level of the Beel diminishes. Water from the wetland flows out to the Brahmaputra during this period. Meanwhile, to protect the fishes from flowing along, the communities barricade the channel with bamboo. “This is a traditional way to protect the fish that has been practised for generations. The barricades are not made by miscreants but by the community. It is built in such a way that the water can flow out but not the fish,” the Samiti said. However, since the declaration of the Deepor Beel as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1989, the Community has been facing harassment as their traditional barricading on the channel is considered as illegal constructions. The area surrounding this Wildlife Sanctuary is also currently under the process of being demarcated as an Eco-Sensitive Zone by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a draft notification of which has already been provided. Highlighting the actual encroachments and its impacts on the ecosystem, the Panchpara Samabay Samity have demanded that their rights of livelihood be secured before the Government implements the laws or zonal plans, else it is a clear violation of Section 44 of the Indian Constitution whereby “State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India”. “The Government has not paid any heed to our demand of building the channel properly. But our livelihood is being challenged. There are many illegal factors leading Deepor Beel to a slow death and these must be addressed at the earliest,” the Co-operative Society stated.