Saving Deepor Beel

Deepor Beel is in the news again. The Government of Assam has informed the Gauhati High Court that a draft notification declaring the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary as an eco-sensitive zone has already been prepared, and the same will be placed before the state cabinet for approval within a period of two weeks. The government made this statement in its submission before the High Court, which has been hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that was submitted by three residents of the Deepor Beel area, namely Pramiod Kalita, Sonesh Teron, and Dipak Terang. The three law-abiding residents have raised concern over certain environmental issues related to the only Ramsar Site in Assam, a nominal portion of which had been declared a bird sanctuary several years ago. The government has also informed the High Court that a revised proposal for the approval of the revised draft Notification for Declaring the Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary was presented to the Cabinet Meeting on November 16, 2023, but that the Cabinet requested modifications and sought clarifications on the draft, and the matter was said to be under review. The order instructed the Government of Assam to issue a notification declaring the eco-sensitive zone of Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary by January 18. While it is very significant that the Gauhati High Court has from time to time expressed concern over the threats that Deepor Beel has been facing due to several factors, it is also equally significant that a number of right-thinking citizens have also been raising their voice to ensure the protection of Deepor Beel. It is worth mentioning that while Deepor Beel has been serving as a major storm water reservoir for Guwahati city, the area and size of this crucial water body have been shrinking rapidly over the past few decades. Any layperson visiting the area, even for the first time, will be able to understand that land-hungry, unscrupulous elements have been pressing on the water body from all sides. A detailed examination of land records will probably show that a number of influential individuals have acquired land around and in Deepor Beel by causing various kinds of manipulations. It will probably not be surprising to find that the list contains the names of politically influential persons, apart from government officers and moneyed businessmen. These people need to be removed in order to protect Deepor Beel for a longer period of time.