GUWAHATI
Assam’s only Ramsar site troubled by developmental projects and urban waste has 30 more waterfowl species than the total counted in 2022.
Altogether 26,747 birds belonging to 96 species were recorded during a bird count at the Deepor Beel wetland on the southwestern edge of Guwahati. The exercise on January 4 was conducted by the Guwahati Wildlife Division of the Assam Forest Department.
“The bird count in the State’s sole Ramsar site revealed greater species diversity and an increase in the total number of species,” Jayashree Naiding, the divisional forest officer told The Hindu.
“This was the second such exercise after February 2022 and the signs are encouraging. We had counted 10,289 individuals across 66 species last year,” she said.
The Forest Department manages the 4.1 sq. km Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary in the central part of the greater wetland named Deepor Beel. The area of the wetland beyond, under the urban development authority, is being measured.
The bird count was conducted by a 37-member team comprising forest officials and members of wildlife NGOs such as Aaranyak, Help Earth, Rongmon and Midway Journey.
“The data on bird species and numbers obtained through such monitoring can greatly help in conservation planning in the long run,” Udayan Borthakur of Aaranyak said.
Road underpass in jumbo corridors
Deepor Beel adjoins the Rani Reserve Forest from where herds of elephants come periodically to forage in the wetland. A road and a railway line cut through seven elephant corridors connecting the reserve forest and the wetland.
While the Assam government has approved the construction of road underpasses for the elephants in the jumbo corridors, the Northeast Frontier Railway has decided to build as many viaducts measure a total of 3.5 kms on the existing railway track being electrified.
Viaducts planned
Viaducts will also be built on the second track planned beside the Ramsar site, railway officials said.
Deepor Beel has also suffered contamination because of a garbage dump on its edge at Paschim Boragaon. Guwahati generates an average of 500 metric tonnes of garbage daily.
“We have shifted the city’s landfill from Paschim Boragaon to Belortol, where a compost cum refuse-driven fuel plant is being built to manage the garbage. We have also approved the biomining of the legacy waste at Paschim Boragaon to make the wetland breathe better,” Ashok Singhal, Assam’s Housing and Urban Development Minister said.
