Jan. 31: Encroachment along the Brahmaputra has spelt doom for the biodiversity-rich wetlands stretching from Kokilamukh to Bonai.

Almost half of the Missamari Beel, the largest waterbody in the area, has been encroached upon by migrant settlers. The encroachers have even started tilling the land for cultivation.

The Bombay Natural History Society had declared the lake an “Important Bird Area” a few years ago.

Concerned over the destruction of wetlands, Keteki, an NGO working for the protection of wildlife in the area, staged a demonstration in front of the Teok circle office on Monday, demanding immediate steps to check encroachment.

“Our repeated appeals to the administration has fallen on deaf ears. We will intensify our agitation if steps are not taken soon,” said Ananta Dutta, the secretary of Keteki.

The NGO is planning a conservation awareness campaign involving schoolchildren of the area.

Thousands of migratory birds come to the wetland to roost in winter, turning the area into a paradise for birdwatchers.

“If immediate steps are not taken to evict the encroachers, the birds may stop coming from the next season,” Dutta said. “Although a large number of birds arrived this season, they left early because of the increased human presence in the vicinity.”

Another threat to the birds is the increasing presence of fertilisers in soil and water. “The settlers are using fertilisers on their crops, contaminating sources of avian food in the process,” Dutta said.

Conservationist Santa Sharma, who is the honorary wildlife warden of Upper Assam, said most natural wetlands would disappear if the administration continued to overlook encroachment. “Birds will stop visiting these areas and the natural habitats will be gone forever if farming continues. Believe me, the ecology of the place is under serious threat.”

Sharma, also the chairperson of an NGO named Prakriti, has been trying to mobilise resources to clean up the wetlands that attract migratory birds. The plan envisages removing silt from the wetlands, which have turned shallow over the years.

“We could have launched the project immediately had the administration not allowed settlements to come up. We are waiting for the encroachers to be evicted,” the honorary wildlife warden said.