Guwahati: Assam’s Urpad Beel, an important wetland in Goalpara district and the source of the Jinjiram River, has lost nearly one-third of its surface water area over two decades, with vegetation and built-up areas expanding sharply, a new study has found.
Published in the International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, the study found that the wetland’s surface water area declined from 4.84 sq km in 2003 to 3.38 sq km in 2023 — a net loss of 1.46 sq km.
During the same period, vegetation cover more than doubled, from 1.99 sq km to 4.78 sq km, while built-up areas increased from 0.34 sq km to 0.51 sq km.
The researchers cautioned that the increase in vegetation should not be interpreted as ecological recovery. The expansion was partly driven by invasive aquatic plants such as water hyacinth and water lettuce, declining water levels and increasing waste disposal.
The paper, “Human footprints on shifting values: The changing landscape of Urpad Beel”, was authored by Abhijit Sarkar and Ankit Adhikary of Gauhati University and Pranjit Kumar Sarma of Mangaldai College.
Using Landsat satellite imagery from 2003, 2013 and 2023, along with household surveys and community interviews, the researchers examined changes in the wetland and their impact on communities dependent on it. The fieldwork covered 60 households, including fishers, farmers and women from the Rabha community.
The roughly 700-hectare Urpad Beel, located about 12 km from Goalpara town, is connected to the Patakata and Matia beels and forms part of a wider wetland system covering more than 1,000 hectares.
For surrounding communities, the beel remains an important source of livelihood through fishing, agriculture and tourism.
Fishing, once largely subsistence-based, has become an important source of income, while the wetland supports Boro and Sali rice cultivation through irrigation. Boating, birdwatching, photography, transport and local retail have also created tourism-linked livelihoods.
But increasing economic activity is placing additional pressure on the wetland. The study identifies overfishing, agricultural expansion, drainage, encroachment, waste disposal and tourism-related activities among the major threats.
The loss is not only ecological. Urpad Beel is closely tied to the cultural life of the Rabha community, with traditional practices and rituals such as Dinga Puja and Kobir Puja reflecting generations of association with the landscape.
Lead author Abhijit Sarkar described wetlands such as Urpad Beel as “the kidneys of our landscape and the libraries of our cultural heritage”, warning that their disappearance could mean losing not only ecological functions but also “centuries of human memory, tradition, and identity”.
The study also highlights the beel’s importance for resident and migratory birds, with winter birdwatching emerging as an attraction for visitors.
The researchers have called for community-led conservation, sustainable fishing, eco-friendly farming and restoration of the wetland’s hydrology. They have also recommended buffer zones, improved waste management, controlled grazing, water-efficient irrigation and conservation-oriented tourism.
The Assam Forest Department has recognised the conservation significance of Urpad Beel, which has been declared a Proposed Reserve Forest under the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891.
The researchers said continued satellite-based monitoring, combined with community participation, will be crucial to tracking the wetland’s decline and guiding its restoration.
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