Deepor Beel

Sept. 2: The Pollution Control Board, Assam, has painted a gloomy picture of the environmental status of Deepor Beel, a natural wetland of international repute.

An official said a recent study conducted by the board said the extraction of granite from the hills in the southern side of the beel is causing erosion, depositing large quantities of silt into the wetland.

“This has resulted in the rapid decrease of the depth of the only major stormwater storage basin in the city,” he said.

The official also blamed the brick kilns and the industrial units for endangering the eco-system of the beel.

“Many industrial units have come up on the fringes of the wetland. Several brick kilns are also operating in the area. These activities are having a negative impact on the ecosystem of the beel,” he said.

The beel is known for its rich diversity of flora and fauna. In addition to the huge congregation of residential water birds, a large number of migratory birds’ visits the beel every winter. Deepor Beel was designated a Ramsar Site in November 2002.

The official said the commercial exploitation of the plant species, Euryale Ferox Salish, from the beel has led to a decline in the number of migratory birds.

According to the pollution board, the exploitation of the Euryale Ferox Salish is a threat to the elephant population as well which regularly visit the beel in search of the plant for food.

“Untreated sewage and industrial wastes from the city flows into the beel. This has enhanced the growth of weeds like ploygonnum barbatum, ploygonnum hydespiper, ploygonnum orientale and rumex maritimus in the wetland. These weed species found along the banks of the wetland are harmful for the fish,” he said.

He said the need of the hour is to dredge the wetland like the Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Centre has taken up a Rs 260-crore dredging project for Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. Only a similar effort can save Deepor Beel,” he added.

Besides many indigenous species of fish, the beel also boasts a large variety of snakes, amphibians, turtles and tortoise species.

A large part of the beel remains covered by water hyacinth, water lilies and other floating, emerging or submerged vegetation. Various species of lizards are also found in the surrounding areas of the wetland.