Dipor Bil
Encyclopedia
Dipor Bil, also spelt Deepor Beel (Bil or Beel
means "lake" in the local Assamese language
), is located to the south-west of Guwahati
city, in Kamrup district of Assam
, India
It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River
, to the south of the main river. It is also called a wetland
under the Ramsar Convention
which has listed the lake in November 2002, as a Ramsar Site for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental importance..
Considered as one of the largest Beel
s in the Brahmaputra valley of lower Assam, it is categorised as representative of the wetland
type under the Burma Monsoon Forest biogeographic region.
The Dipor Bil is reported to provide, directly or indirectly, its natural resources for the livelihood of fourteen indigenous villages (1,200 families) located in its precincts.Freshwater fish is a vital protein and source of income for these communities; the health of these people is stated to be directly dependendent on the health of this wetland ecosystem. A member of Deepor Beel Fishermen’s Cooperative Society has succinctly stated:
word 'Dipa' which means Elephant
and the Beel means wetland or large aquatic body in Assamese language, inhabited by elephants.
as well as the Mughals. The medieval history reports of Ahom-Mughal conflicts. It is also stated that Kampitha and Rambrai Syiemship (the supreme political authority is known as the Syiemship in Meghalaya
had control over this area.
The geologic and tectonic history of the region provide the links to the hydrology and channel dynamics of rivers and pattern, and intensity of land use in the area. It is commonly stated that the beel together with those adjoining it are an abandoned channel of the Brahmaputra system.
While the beel and its lowland fringe are said to be underlaid by recent alluvium consisting of clay, silt, sand and pebbles, the highlands immediately to the north and south of the beel are made up of gneisses and schists of the Archaean age.
The Beel has a perennial water spread area of about 10.1 km2, which extends up to 40.1 km2 during floods. However, an area of 414 ha has been declared as “Deepor Beel Sanctuary” by the Government of Assam.As per a Remote Sensing Study the wetland area is reported to have reduced to 14.1% (405 ha) from 1990 to 2002.
Temperatures in the beel vary from 10.60 to 320C. During the winter months, when the size of the lake reduces in area by about fifty percent, the shore area (up to one kilometre) is culitvated with rice paddy when the climate is also relatively cool and dry. The tropical monsoon climate prolongs from May to September when it is humid. Pre-monsoon showers are experienced between March and May.
A total of 18 genera of phytoplankton
are reported from the core area of the Beel ecosystem out of which species of Oscilatoria and Microcystis are dominant. List of aquatic plants identified in the Beel are:
Euryale ferox
, a giant water lily with edible seeds, are leased to earn revenue for the government. Other lake shore vegetation include:
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Dominant tree species in the nearby Deciduous forests in the beel basin are species of Tectona grandis or common teak, Ficus benghalensis
, Shorea robusta and Bombax malabaricum. In the surrounding forest area, aquarium plants, medicinal plant and orchids of commercial value are reported.
Among the large number of migratory water fowl, the Siberian crane
(Grus leucogeranus) regularly migrates to this habitat during its annual journey. This is in addition to the large congregation of residential water birds seen in the lake.
Considering the richness of the bird varieties found in the beel, the Birdlife International
has declared Deepor Beel as an Important Bird Area
(IBA) with high priority for conservation..
, Jungle Cat
and the protected Barking Deer, Chinese
Porcupine
and Sambar are found in the beel. Herds of elephants are reported in the beel.
Weed
s have been removed in an area of 500 ha and the fish catch is reported to be improving. The long term measures envisaged to preserve the beel environment are:
• Encroachments and settlements around the beel periphery to be eliminated
• Train stops on the boundary of the Beel to be discontinued
• To raise suitable plantations on either side of the railway line to reduce noise level
• Eco-restoration of surrounding forest area
• To preserve effectiveness of the beel as storm water detention basin for Guwahati city and creation of additional storage capacity in the naturally depressed areas within the greater metropolitan area
• Guwahati city runoff, which includes sewage, to be treated before discharging into the beel
• To discontinue land cutting, Brick Kiln
s and industrial development in the periphery of the beel
• Government settlements to be discontinued and the beel to be preserved to its natural state
• Encourage bird related eco-tourism and conservation
education.
s, Adjutant storks and abundant varieties of ducks. A watch tower has been erected on the bank of the beel for bird watching and security purpose.
1. The Ramsar Convention, which has recognised the Deepor Beel in its list of 1782 wetland sites, with 158 Contracting Parties to the Convention of the world and holds seminars to create awareness of the beel’s uniqueness.
2.Aaranyak, an NGO organization set up
3.North Dakota State University
, USA has a website created as a tool to facilitate better understanding of the concepts and practices in environmental management, and to complement the graduate course materials for the students, undertook a “Case Study of
Deepor Beel Wetland Management” for the fall course of 2007 .
4.The Animal Ecology Laboratory in the Department of Zoology, Guwahati University has been involved in biological studies of the beel.
Beel
A beel or a bheel is a term for a pond with static water , in the Ganges - Brahmaputra flood plains of the Eastern Indian states of West Bengal, and Assam and in the country of Bangladesh...
means "lake" in the local Assamese language
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
), is located to the south-west of Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
city, in Kamrup district of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
, to the south of the main river. It is also called a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
which has listed the lake in November 2002, as a Ramsar Site for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental importance..
Considered as one of the largest Beel
Beel
A beel or a bheel is a term for a pond with static water , in the Ganges - Brahmaputra flood plains of the Eastern Indian states of West Bengal, and Assam and in the country of Bangladesh...
s in the Brahmaputra valley of lower Assam, it is categorised as representative of the wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
type under the Burma Monsoon Forest biogeographic region.
The Dipor Bil is reported to provide, directly or indirectly, its natural resources for the livelihood of fourteen indigenous villages (1,200 families) located in its precincts.Freshwater fish is a vital protein and source of income for these communities; the health of these people is stated to be directly dependendent on the health of this wetland ecosystem. A member of Deepor Beel Fishermen’s Cooperative Society has succinctly stated:
Our forefathers protected this wetland and we are committed to do the same as we depend on the wetland for our livelihood. We will protect this wetland at any cost and against any odds.
Etymology
The name Deepor Beel is stated to be derivative of the SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word 'Dipa' which means Elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
and the Beel means wetland or large aquatic body in Assamese language, inhabited by elephants.
History
It is claimed that Beel was an important dockyard of the Tai-AhomAhom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
as well as the Mughals. The medieval history reports of Ahom-Mughal conflicts. It is also stated that Kampitha and Rambrai Syiemship (the supreme political authority is known as the Syiemship in Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
had control over this area.
Access
It is located 13 km South West of Guwahati on the National Highway (NH 31), on the Jalukbari-Khanapara bypass, alongside its north western boundary. PWD road skirts the northern fringe of the Rani and Garbhanga Reserve Forests on the south. The National Highway 37 borders the beel on the east and north-east and the Engineering College Road on the north. Also, minor roads and tracts exist in the vicinity of the beel. The Beel is about 5 km from the Guwahati Airport (GNB Int. Airport). Broad Gauge Railway line skirts the lake.Topography and geology
The Beel is bounded by the steep highlands on the north and south, and the valley formed has a broad U-shape with the Rani and Garbhanga hills forming the backdrop..The geologic and tectonic history of the region provide the links to the hydrology and channel dynamics of rivers and pattern, and intensity of land use in the area. It is commonly stated that the beel together with those adjoining it are an abandoned channel of the Brahmaputra system.
While the beel and its lowland fringe are said to be underlaid by recent alluvium consisting of clay, silt, sand and pebbles, the highlands immediately to the north and south of the beel are made up of gneisses and schists of the Archaean age.
Hydrology
The Basistha and Kalmani rivers and local monsoon run-off are the main sources of water to the lake, between May and September. Khonajan channel drains the beel into the Brahmaputra river, 5 km to the north. It acts as a natural stormwater reservoir during the monsoon season for the Guwahati city (stated to be the only major storage water basin for the city’s drainage, with about four metres depth of water during monsoon dropping to about one metre during the dry season.The Beel has a perennial water spread area of about 10.1 km2, which extends up to 40.1 km2 during floods. However, an area of 414 ha has been declared as “Deepor Beel Sanctuary” by the Government of Assam.As per a Remote Sensing Study the wetland area is reported to have reduced to 14.1% (405 ha) from 1990 to 2002.
Temperatures in the beel vary from 10.60 to 320C. During the winter months, when the size of the lake reduces in area by about fifty percent, the shore area (up to one kilometre) is culitvated with rice paddy when the climate is also relatively cool and dry. The tropical monsoon climate prolongs from May to September when it is humid. Pre-monsoon showers are experienced between March and May.
Flora
The hydrophytic vegetation of the beel has been classified, based on ecological adaptation, into the following categories with their floristic elements. These are:- Aquatic vegetation like water hyacinthWater hyacinthThe seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
, aquaticAquatic plantAquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
grasses, water liliesNymphaeaceaeNymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
and other submerged, emergent and floating vegetation are found during the summer season.
- In the dry areas, during winter, aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation are seen
- In deep open water area, marshy lands, mud flat, emergent vegetation, water hyacinth patches, net-grass land patches are reported
- Migratory water-fowl, residential water-fowl and terrestrialTerrestrial animalTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
avifaunaBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
are common in paddy fieldPaddy fieldA paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
areas, dry grasslandGrasslandGrasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
areas and scattered forest areas.
A total of 18 genera of phytoplankton
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
are reported from the core area of the Beel ecosystem out of which species of Oscilatoria and Microcystis are dominant. List of aquatic plants identified in the Beel are:
- Eichhornia crassipesEichhornia crassipesEichhornia crassipes, commonly known as Common Water Hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to the Amazon basin, and is often considered a highly problematic invasive species outside its native range.-Ecology:...
, Pistia stratiotes, OtteliaHydrocharitaceaeHydrocharitaceae is a flowering plant family that includes a number of species of aquatic plant, broadly called the Tape-grasses, and includes the well known Canadian Waterweed and Frog's Bit.The family includes both fresh and marine aquatics...
alismoides, Lemna minorLemna minorLemna minor is a species of Lemna with a subcosmopolitan distribution, native throughout most of Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, occurring everywhere that freshwater ponds and slow-moving streams occur, except for arctic and subarctic climates...
, Potamogeton crispus, Vallisneria spiralisVallisneria spiralisVallisneria spiralis, also known as Straight Vallisneria, Tape grass, or Eel grass is a common aquarium plant that prefers good light and a nutrient rich substrate. In the wild, it can be found in tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide...
, Hydrilla verticillata, IpomoeaIpomoeaIpomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called "morning glories", but this can refer to related genera also. Those formerly separated in Calonyction are called "moonflowers"...
reptans, Azolla pinnata, SpirodelaSpirodelaSpirodela is a genus of aquatic plant. It is one of several genera containing plants commonly called duckweed. Spirodela species are members of the Araceae under the APG II system. They were formerly members of the Lemnaceae....
polyrhiza, EleocharisEleocharisEleocharis is a genus of 250 or more species of flowering plants in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. They are known commonly as spikerushes, although spikesedges is a more technically appropriate name and most scientists who study them in earnest refer to them as such...
plantaginea, Nymphaea albaNymphaea albaNymphaea alba, also known as the European White Waterlily, White Lotus, or Nenuphar, is an aquatic flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae....
, NymphaeaNymphaeaNymphaea is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, which has a cosmopolitan distribution.-Name:The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is Water Lily....
rubra and Sagittaria sagittifoliaSagittaria sagittifoliaSagittaria sagittifolia is a flowering plant in the family Alismataceae, native to wetlands throughout the temperate regions of Europe and Asia; in Britain it is the only native Sagittaria....
.
Euryale ferox
Euryale ferox is the only species in the genus Euryale. It is a flowering plant classified in the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, although it is occasionally regarded as a distinct family Euryalaceae...
, a giant water lily with edible seeds, are leased to earn revenue for the government. Other lake shore vegetation include:
- EupatoriumEupatoriumEupatorium is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, containing from 36 to 60 species depending on the classification system. Most are herbaceous perennial plants growing to 0.5–3 m tall. A few are shrubs. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
adoratum, AchyranthesAchyranthesAchyranthes is a genus of medicinal and ornamental plants in the Amaranthaceae family.Species include:* Achyranthes arborescens* Achyranthes aspera Achyranthes is a genus of medicinal and ornamental plants in the Amaranthaceae family.Species include:* Achyranthes arborescens* Achyranthes aspera...
aspera, Cyperus esculentusCyperus esculentusCyperus esculentus is a species of sedge native to warm temperate to subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, often cultivated for its edible tubers . It is an annual or perennial plant, growing to 90 cm tall, with solitary stems growing from a tuber...
, PhragmitesPhragmitesPhragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
karka, Vitex trifoliaVitex trifoliaVitex trifolia is a large coastal shrub or small tree.-Description:Vitex trifolia is a large coastal shrub or small tree, less than 5 m in height with the stems covered by soft hairs . The leaves are oppositely arranged along the stems and are usually compound, composed of 3 linear leaflets which...
, Accium basilium, Saccharum spontaneum and ImperataImperataImperata is a small genus of grasses known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous grasses native to the tropics and warm temperate regions worldwide. They bear solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences...
arundinacea.
Ficus benghalensis
Ficus benghalensis, the banyan, is a large and extensive growing tree of the Indian subcontinent. Ficus benghalensis produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots. Once these roots reach the ground, they grow into woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main...
, Shorea robusta and Bombax malabaricum. In the surrounding forest area, aquarium plants, medicinal plant and orchids of commercial value are reported.
Ava fauna
The Beel is a natural habitat to many varieties of birds. 219 species of birds including more than 70 migratory species are reported in the beel area. The largest congregations of aquatic birds can be seen, particularly in winter, with a reported recorded count of 19,000 water birds in a day. Some of the globally threatened species of birds like Spotbilled Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus), Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri), Pallas' Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius).Siberian Crane
The Siberian Crane also known as the Siberian White Crane or the Snow Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes...
(Grus leucogeranus) regularly migrates to this habitat during its annual journey. This is in addition to the large congregation of residential water birds seen in the lake.
Considering the richness of the bird varieties found in the beel, the Birdlife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
has declared Deepor Beel as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA) with high priority for conservation..
Aqua Fauna
Surveys have revealed 20 amphibian, 12 lizards, 18 snakes and 6 turtle and tortoise species in the beel. Over 50 commercially viable species of fish, belonging to 19 families have been identified, which supplies stock to other nearby wetlands and rivers. The beel provides food, acts as a spawning and nursery water body; some of the species breed within the beel..Fauna
Wild Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus), LeopardLeopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, Jungle Cat
Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....
and the protected Barking Deer, Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
and Sambar are found in the beel. Herds of elephants are reported in the beel.
Utility of the beel
The inhabitants around the villages located in the periphery and the cathment of the beel use the beel for:- Fishing
- As waterway for transporting the villagers of the Southern boundary to the N.H. 37
- Collect fodder for domestic cattle and collect aquatic seeds such as Giant water lily, Nymphea sp. etc.
- Raise BoroBoroBoro has several meanings:*Boro, New South Wales, a locality in Australia*Boro was a Dutch Formula One constructor.*Boro, Togo is a village is the Kara region of Togo*Boro is a local nickname for the English town Middlesbrough...
paddyPaddy fieldA paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
– sown in December–January and harvested in April–May
Deterioration of the beel
Natural and anthropogenic causes for the deterioration of the beel are many. The major reasons reported in the beel ecosystem are.:- Proliferation of human settlements, roads, and industries around the periphery (in the eastern and north-eastern sides) causing pollution problems
- Waste water from different parts of the city and the adjoining areas
- Construction of broad-gauge railway line on the periphery of the beel
- Allottment of the government vacant land to private party by Government settlement department
- Brick kilns and soil cutting
- Hunting, trapping and killing of wild birds and mammals
- Unplanned intensive fishing practices (both during day and night)
Restoration activities
A comprehensive management plan has been set in motion and it is proposed to notify the whole beel area as a protected area.Weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
s have been removed in an area of 500 ha and the fish catch is reported to be improving. The long term measures envisaged to preserve the beel environment are:
• Encroachments and settlements around the beel periphery to be eliminated
• Train stops on the boundary of the Beel to be discontinued
• To raise suitable plantations on either side of the railway line to reduce noise level
• Eco-restoration of surrounding forest area
• To preserve effectiveness of the beel as storm water detention basin for Guwahati city and creation of additional storage capacity in the naturally depressed areas within the greater metropolitan area
• Guwahati city runoff, which includes sewage, to be treated before discharging into the beel
• To discontinue land cutting, Brick Kiln
Brick Kiln
Brick Kiln is a settlement in the east of the island of Nevis in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is located inland from the coast in America, to the north of Butlers....
s and industrial development in the periphery of the beel
• Government settlements to be discontinued and the beel to be preserved to its natural state
• Encourage bird related eco-tourism and conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
education.
Bird sanctuary
Deepor Beel Bird Sanctuary covering an area of 414 ha within the larger spread of the beel to shelter several species of birds has been created by the Department of Forests, Assam, and shooting and bird-trapping are prohibited by law, but enforcement is reported to be inadequate. Over 120 species of birds have been listed in the sanctuary, which includes Kingfishers, Fishing eagleEagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, Adjutant storks and abundant varieties of ducks. A watch tower has been erected on the bank of the beel for bird watching and security purpose.
Public participation
While the management authority for the beel is the Forest Department of the Government of Assam, with the Fisheries Department as the functional Authority, several public and private institutions and universities are involved in creating the awareness of the Ecological importance of the beel and the need to restore it to its original status. Some important ones are:1. The Ramsar Convention, which has recognised the Deepor Beel in its list of 1782 wetland sites, with 158 Contracting Parties to the Convention of the world and holds seminars to create awareness of the beel’s uniqueness.
2.Aaranyak, an NGO organization set up
to foster conservation of biodiversity in Northeast India through research, environmental education, capacity building and advocacy for legal and policy reform to usher a new era of ecological securityis actively involved in Community Based Conservation Projects, which includes among other projects the “Deepar Beel Community Conservation Project”. The project was designed
to reduce the anthropogenic pressure on the wetland by providing for alternative and diversified means of livelihood to the people living along the fringe villages. The purpose of the project is to set up some community run ‘Self Help Groups’ (SHGs) to strengthen their livelihood options through diverse means and garn their support in the conservation of Deepar Beel as wetland ecosystem.
3.North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
, USA has a website created as a tool to facilitate better understanding of the concepts and practices in environmental management, and to complement the graduate course materials for the students, undertook a “Case Study of
Deepor Beel Wetland Management” for the fall course of 2007 .
4.The Animal Ecology Laboratory in the Department of Zoology, Guwahati University has been involved in biological studies of the beel.