Historic pond in heart of city turns litter bin!

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 23: The Intertiol Biodiversity Day was observed the world over yesterday. Back to Guwahati, the biodiversity of a historic pond is at stake! We think and talk aloud, but do precious little!

The historic pond in question is located at Panbazar, the heart of Guwahati. It is popularly known as gkata Pukhuri. Its area is 0.31 hectare.    

The pond has all along been used by the State Fishery Department for rearing fish. As the practice goes, the department releases fingerlings of various carps in it during the Magh Bihu. When the fishes grow desired sizes, the department sells them at fair prices.

The pond is also a biodiversity site. A pond is inhabited by many aquatic animals, besides fish. However, fish and other aquatic species staying in the pond are at stake. The bank of the pond has been witnessing an unhealthy growth. It is a gambling den now. There are restaurants and taxi stands by its side, and that has put the pond at the receiving end. As debris is thrown into the pond, its water is getting polluted. Defecation seems to be a reality in the pond, maybe, at night. The water of the pond is used in washing cars. The pollution level of the pond does raise a question: how nutritious the fish reared in the polluted pond could be?

Is not it conscience pricking for a government that spends crores of rupees for the beautification of the city and to project it as a preferred tourist destition? The location of the pond is ideal for its development for beautification. Beautification is closely related to alluring tourists. It sounds odd that if the government can spend crores of rupees just to make actor Priyanka Chopra the brand ambassador of the State, what prevents it from spending some lakhs of rupees for the beautification of the pond? Won’t that allure tourists to the city? The yardstick for evaluation of any measurable entity should be one that can gauge right!