Can’t beautify if it is dead: Why locals are against ‘revamping’ Deepor Beel

What should be the government’s priority? Saving and preserving a Ramsar site, the only such site in Assam, or instead directing crores of rupees towards beautifying the site without first addressing the biggest threats to the site? This question has divided the administration and locals and civil society organisations after it came to light that the Assam government had sanctioned Rs 100 crore towards tourism development in the area around the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Locals have called it putting the cart before the horse, and there is a strong reason why they believe so. 

But first, a look at what the Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for: a cycle track, promenade, and other tourist amenities. 

And to do this, the water level will be regulated for boating and water sports activities in only 4.1 sq km core area of a sprawling 900 hectares of the Ramsar Site. 

Regulating the water level for boating activities and sporting events only on the earmarked 4.1 sq km area will disrupt the natural water levels of the whole lake. This will affect the indigenous flora and fauna; say experts. Several seasonal birds only migrate to Deepor Beel during winters for its low water level, elephants frequent the lake for a swim, and the many other rare indigenous species for which the lake is vital for survival.  

Deepor Beel is a floodwater reserve for the entire Guwahati city where several rivulets converge to drain all stormwater out of Guwahati. Locals fear flooding in the area if the natural water flow of the entire Guwahati city is tampered with.

Cart before the horse

Experts say that Assam’s lone Ramsar site should first be demarcated and conserved as per the Wetland Conservation Rule, 2017. The area needs to be declared an eco-sensitive zone, where no earth-filling or construction activities will be allowed, and efforts to curb pollution should be taken up like installing sewage treatment plants at all stormwater and drain water inlets, treating the city’s garbage at the landfill site nearby and shifting it in the true sense of the word, identifying encroachment activities (both illegal and govt enabled) and conducting feasibility studies ahead of executing the announced tourism development projects around the core area of the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary.

Conservationists like Pramod Kalita have always been on guard to troubleshoot and protect the marvelous lake from the evil eyes of money-hungry politicians, land-hungry criminals, corporates, and even Govt officers. He again approached the Guwahati High Court against the Assam cabinet’s March 10 directive to denotify the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary from being a Wildlife Sanctuary and an eco-sensitive zone. Last December, the court directed the state govt to issue a notification declaring Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary an eco-sensitive zone by January 18.

In April, the Gauhati HC stepped in, and halted the Assam cabinet order. 

In its survey released during the annual four-day Winter Birding Festival in January, 7WEAVES, a Guwahati-based environmental research group, said there had been a decline of 16,000 migratory birds, 5000 ducks of various species and 500 species of migratory birds at the lake between December and January this year compared to the last. 

Pramod Kalita, petitioner of the aforementioned high court PIL and conservationist, told EastMojo: “Last year, we recorded 27,000 migratory birds at the Deepor beel. This year, we counted that only 11,000 migratory birds came to the Deepor Beel depending on it for their seasonal activities. The number of migratory birds like shorebirds, sandpipers, Wood sandpipers, little stints, etc visiting the lake has shrunk drastically. During November, when the Forest Department here artificially raised the water level of the Deepor Beel and kept all sluice gates closed until long after the event was over, to facilitate sailing and rowing events organized by the Rising Sun Water Festival; it disturbed the feeding and breeding grounds of wide varieties of migratory birds which visit the lake during that season every year, drastically bringing down their numbers this year. They shouldn’t hold water sports activities in a low water-level month during which a wide array of migratory birds visit to carry out their seasonal activities. They could have held it after the rainy season when the water level of the lake is naturally high.”

Moreover, locals say during the rainy season, the water level reaches up to 21- 22 ft and that building embankments around the core area of the Deepor Beel could cause the locals to bear heavy consequences including flooding. 

“Beyond the boundary of the Deepor Beel core area is a flood-prone area. The post-rain flooding in those areas is favorable for agriculture and hence are used as agricultural lands. Deepor Beel during the rainy season is nothing like Deepor Beel in winter. The water level fluctuates drastically throughout the year as it is the stormwater reservoir for the entire Guwahati city. The Deepor Beel is crucial to prevent flooding in the entire Guwahati city. If embankments are built around the core area, the water reserve capacity of the lake will decrease. There needs to be scientific assessments of environmental impact and feasibility studies before taking such steps. The embankments and cycle tracks, if built, must be done scientifically. Based on these studies, we could deliberate if the cycle track and promenade can be built in a less environmentally sensitive and more ecologically feasible area of the Deepor Beel rather than the earmarked core area of the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary for the projects. If the government’s plans exclude the flood-prone area or protect the Beel’s ecological environment while taking up development activities around the lake, we could discuss but we have not been shown any detailed DPR as of now,” said Kalita. 

“The priority right now should be to rid the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary of pollution and take steps to conserve it instead of announcing development activities around it. If there are no birds, no fishes, no biodiversity, and only polluted waters, there’s no point in tourism development, is there? Deepor Beel has already shrunk by great magnitudes due to the various developmental activities around it. If you match the area specifications from the British era to now, after the construction of the bypass, engineering college, railway tracks, residential areas, and other private and government establishments on the Deepor Beel, one would be baffled”, said Teron.

Golak Das, a leader among the fisherman communities in the area highlights that the movements of migratory birds will be affected if the embankment is built for a cycle track, promenade, and other tourist amenities, causing the birds to fly to other nearby unprotected areas with low water levels to feed and lay eggs, instead of doing so in the customary core Wildlife Sanctuary area of the lake because of its high water levels caused by the embankments and artificially raising or regulating water levels.

This will prompt bird hunters to prey on those birds as then, these birds will land in areas outside the protected Wildlife Sanctuary area. In addition to the number of visiting migratory birds reducing in the lake, the dangers of the birds and their young being hunted will increase manifold. 

“Recently, forest officials nabbed a non-local person who was hunting rare migratory birds for commercial purposes. Such deplorable acts will increase after birds start shifting their habitats to areas outside the protected core area, the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary. We, the locals have always worshipped, protected, and lived in harmony with the birds, elephants, fishes and other flora and fauna of Deepor Beel but governments, industries, land mafia and outsiders who don’t care about Deepor Beel’s health at all are responsible for the uncontrollable rate in which the lake is shrinking, getting polluted and losing it’s original glory and grandeur. Whatever remains of the Deepor Beel is still able to inspire awe and wonder among tourists only because of the protection and conservation efforts of local communities, nature lovers, fishermen, and activists,” he added. 

Anthropogenic activities must be curbed first

The rapidly increasing building and construction activities on Deepor Beel Ramsar site land are causing drastic habitat loss for rare and diverse breeds of birds and animals as we speak. One part of the Deepor Beel has been cleared and is being earth-filled for a flyover to be constructed in Dharapur, a highway stretch that hardly ever gets traffic congestion. Even though the area is a part of the ecologically sensitive Deepor Beel; because the Ramsar site has not been demarcated, it is not possible to know whether the area is part of the Ramsar site or not. Mrinal Koch, a concerned citizen, said the flyover is not needed at that stretch as it hardly ever gets congested. He suspects that such moves are made to benefit not the citizens, but only a handful of people, the ones who have taken up and are overseeing the project. 

Pramod Kalitaa dded: “There are several eco-sensitive zones within the Ramsar site area that are outside the boundaries of the Wildlife Sanctuary. The original 4000-hectare and now 900-hectare Ramsar site area of the Deepor Beel has not been demarcated and the eco-sensitive zone has not been declared even now. The boundary surrounding not only the Wildlife Sanctuary area within the Ramsar site but the whole Ramsar site must be marked and conservation efforts in terms of curbing pollution must be taken up; before building embankments for a cycle track and other tourist amenities and regulating water levels for boating and water sports activities in the core area of the lake.” 

The lake earned international importance when the Ramsar Convention recognized the Deepor Beel as a Ramsar site in November 2002, thus underscoring the urgent need to undertake conservation measures based on its biological and environmental importance. This was further validated and made mandatory by Indian law in the form of the Wetland Conservation Rule, 2017. The Deepor Beel is also an Important Bird Area(IBA) and was also notified under the Guwahati Water Bodies(Preservation and Conservation) Act, 2008.

He adds, “Because the Ramsar site has not yet been demarcated, onlookers or land buyers can’t tell if the area is authorized for acquisition or not and it has also been extremely hard for us to identify and determine the total encroached area. The 4.1 sq km Wildlife Sanctuary has been marked so we know that encroachments are not allowed in the area. There is no such demarcation for the Ramsar site which is equally crucial.” 

Kalita also underlined the need for environmental impact assessment and feasibility studies. “Already, the ecologically sensitive area is under threat because the railway tracks were built ignoring the need for environment-impact assessment, then came the dumping ground, the Swahid Udyan Boragaon, and so on. The Deepor Beel Ramsar site area outside the boundaries of the core Wildlife Sanctuary was used and is still being used as revenue land. The govt has allotted hundreds of bighas of Deepor Beel Ramsar site land to several govt and private parties and as a result, encroachments around those areas are at an all-time high causing the majestic Deepor Beel to shrink rapidly and get polluted.” 

The water levels of the Deepor Beel fluctuate all through the year and is hence a home to a wide range of rare species of animals and migratory birds who depend on the seasonal changes in water levels for their survival and even migrate here to avail the various benefits of the fluctuating water levels; like to safely lay eggs or to hunt for rare food. Different areas of the Deepor Beel which have different water levels serve as habitats for different sets of varieties of birds and animals. 

Regulating the water level of only a 4.1 sq km core area (within the Wildlife Sanctuary) amid the sprawling 900 hectares of the Ramsar Site would obstruct and tamper with the existing form and flow of the lake causing ecological imbalances and flooding in nearby villages. 

Error 404 not found: Why no action against pollutants?

An indigenous tribal representative on the Deepor Beel matter, Sonesh Teron believes the money for beautification can be used for a better purpose. 

“The Govt must use the Rs 100 crore fund to permanently remove the dumping ground nearby, take steps like setting up sewage treatment plants to rid the Deepor Beel of pollution and solve the city’s garbage problem once and for all so that landfill sites can no longer pose a threat to the natural environment. There is no point of tourism development in the area if the Deepor Beel has polluted water and loses its original form and beauty,” Teron added. 

In July last year, the Guwahati High Court also put forth measures like shifting the landfill site nearby, prohibiting solid waste dumping and setting up sewerage treatment plants at all entry points of the city’s sewage water, other effluents and stormwater into the lake; as a prerequisite to building the cycle track, tourist amenities etc. However, the state only took note of the tourism development activities suggested by the High Court and announced the Rs 100 crore funds for the cycle track, promenade, tourist amenities, and plans to regulate water levels for water sports. 

Strangely, the state has completely ignored the other measures under the same High Court directive towards conserving and depolluting the lake, in its announcement of a release of Rs 100 crore funds for the beautification of the lake for tourism development. The high court’s directive on building sewerage treatment plants at all stormwater and drain water inlets before building tourism amenities and the directive that prohibits solid waste dumping in and around the lake have been completely ignored in the announcements. There has been no announcement on building sewerage treatment plants or on shifting the landfill site nearby once and for all in the real sense of the word.”

Ramsar site also home to legacy waste

The GMC has been dumping the city’s legacy waste at the West Boragaon dumping ground, at the periphery of the Deepor Beel. Toxic waste has been seeping into the lake since 2008 polluting its pristine water for the last 13 years. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2019 ordered the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to shift the West Boragaon dumping ground, which posed a threat to the fragile ecology of Deepor Beel, the only Ramsar site in the state. The landfill was then shifted to a 40-acre area at the Thermal Power Complex in Chandrapur in June 2021 but had to shut down its operations after facing severe protests and resistance from the locals. 

Then, the GMC was left with no choice, but to shift it only 800 m away, to Belor Tol, also in West Boragaon. Oftentimes through the year, there would be dumpsite fire outbreaks lasting for days caused by landfill gases released as by-products of the degradation of waste or accidentally as uncontrolled landfill fires smouldering beneath the surface. The smoke and gases contain carcinogens and pose a wide array of health threats for the people living nearby. The landfill fire was ablaze for two and a half months until May first week.

Pramod Kalita points out that if the government has to resort to setting the dumping ground on fire to rid the city of its waste, then what’s the use of spending crores of rupees on waste treatment and management? He asks “Where are the crores of rupees of funds for waste treatment and management being used?” The Rs 100 crores must be channelled towards waste management instead, on treating the city’s waste effectively and ensuring that toxic waste doesn’t seep into the Deepor Beel or pollute the air, rendering it hazardous for breathing.

Can locals take the lead in conservation?

Pramod Kalita said the entire conservation work of Deepor Beel is being carried out by the locals, vast sections of which are 845 families of fisherfolk. He points out that the local fishermen are the reason Deepor Beel breathes, survives, and manages to attract tourists from far and wide. “They have worked out an efficient system of sustainable fishing over hundreds of years to conserve what remains of the Deepor Beel, activities of which span all through the year. The Deepor Beel conservation activities have been taken up by local fishermen since long before it was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2009. They take up activities like removing water hyacinth from the lake and using it to produce textile fibre, releasing thousands of fishlings of native species from time to time, and guiding elephants and local fauna safely through the Deepor Beel railway tracks and road so they could go for a swim, etc. This year the fishermen communities have released native fishlings worth Rs 1, 22,000 into the lake. They customarily release fish in the lake every year,” he said.

Among the High Court’s twelve measures and suggestions to the state govt in July 2023, one was on curtailing or regulating fishing activities for boating and water-sports events on the lake.

Fisherman and leader of the local fishermen community Golak Das highlighted the importance of the fishermen community in the conservation process of the Deepor Beel. “We already conduct regulated and sustainable fishing as per regulations within the fishermen community which has sustained Deepor Beel as a major habitat for various local fishes. These regulations don’t allow fishing in the lake’s centre during the rainy season and the fishermen comply. They only fish in the lake’s centre in months from January to April. There are regulations against the usage of certain fishing tools and fishing certain species of small fish. There are laws within the fishermen’s community that charge a fine of Rs 5000 and ban fishing for a year if any fisherman is found fishing from April until January of the next year when fishing activities begin at Deepor Beel until April. During low or no rainfall seasons, the water level of the lake recedes and offers fresh fish meals to hundreds of visiting migratory bird species. During those months, the fishermen install temporary obstructions to contain the season’s fish in the lake and prevent them from crossing the outlets into the Brahmaputra river so that the migratory birds who visit the lake for food every year can feed,” he added.

For now, however, all the locals can do is hope that those in power listen to them. And until then, they plan to continue making their voices heard.

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