Skip to content Skip to navigation

International Day for Biological Diversity observed

Aaranyak organised a mass signature campaign on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity with the current year theme of Water and Biodiversiy on Wednesday. As part of the day-long programme Aaranyak team pitched tent beside Beltola-Basistha Road in the city to facilitate environment enthusiasts among the public and students to tender their signature  and take a pledged towards biodiversity conservation. About 100 students from Bal Bharati School at Survey participated in the programme along with common people  from all  age groups who have appreciated the novel initiative of Aaranyak.

On this  occasion Aaranyak also expresses its deep concern at the deteriorating state of wetland in Guwahati city in particular and Assam in general. Deepar Beel which is the only Ramsar site in Assam has been severely affected because of unregulated human activities including encroachment, siltation due to unscientific hill cutting in Rani-Garbhanga forest in the vicinity. Deepar Beel acts as a storm water reservoir of Guwahati city and thereby plays a significant role in reducing flash flood in the city  and  recharging groundwater .

Aaranyak urges the chief minister of Assam to urgently initiate action to ensure protection and conservation of Deepar Beel in the greater interest of protection of biodiversity in greater a area.

Deepar Beel plays a vital role in sheltering waterfowls of residential and migratory nature. Beel has a perennial water-holding area of about 10.1 sq. km, which extends up to 40.1 sq. km during floods. The depth increases up to 4 m, and drops to 1 m during winter. This large water body is not only a food source and breeding ground for a large variety of aquatic birds but it also houses a wide variety of amphibians, reptiles, insects, macrophytes, terrestrial weeds, lianas and tree species of ecological and economic importance.

The Government of Assam declared 10.1 sq. km area of Deepar Beel as the ‘Deepar Beel Wildlife Sanctuary’ in 1989. It was also proposed that the 4.1 sq. km core area be designated a ‘Bird Sanctuary’; about 122 species of seasonal, migratory and residential birds visit the Beel every year. Considering the importance of the wetland, Deepar Beel has been included in Asian Wetland Directory and has been also declared as a Ramsar Site in 2002.

A majority of the biological wealth in the wetland is in a state of gradual depletion due to the increased impact of human interference. Although the area has been declared as Ramsar Site/ wildlife sanctuary, it has not received much attention regarding conservation.

The area is not well protected and there is no enforcement of strict laws of wildlife protection. Regular fishing both in the buffer and core zones also contributes to the degradation of the wetland.

Author info

Dr M Firoz Ahmed's picture

Add new comment

Random Stories

Northeast shines at national varsity meet

19 Feb 2016 - 6:38pm | CM Paul
Northeast India was shining at 31st Inter University National Youth Festival (Yuva Shatha Sambrama-2016) just concluded at the University of Mysore on February 19. The participants from 70...

Experts question rhino horn panel

2 Sep 2016 - 11:41am | Azlina Khanam
A citizens’ meet on Thursday unanimously demanded disbanding of the Rhino Horns Verification Committee, recently formed by the Government of Assam, as in its opinion, the committee is out to legalize...

SBI meets on economy revival

25 Aug 2019 - 2:21pm | Mayuri Bora
A  high level  consultative  meeting  was   held  today 24th of August  in Guwahati at NEDFI House   with stakeholders   by State Bank of...

MULTA spreading network!

20 Mar 2015 - 10:05am | AT News
Despite round-the-clock vigil, Islamist extremists are moving in different parts of the state without any hindrance. Some sensational revelations have surfaced when police interrogated two MULTA...

Other Contents by Author

A process of confidence building among the women themselves seems to have started. Their increased ability to articulate their needs, as is evident, is an important aspect of their identity building. Their world has expanded and their confidence is soaring and this was no exception to the women in the fringe villages of Manas National Park, who on Monday came forward and actively participated in a day-long training programme organized by Aaranyak in association with Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council at Bhuyanpara in Manas National Park.Women, particularly, in wildlife areas are vulnerable to poverty and leads a life dependent on forest resources. Limited access to basic...
A group of school children from several schools in Guwahati today  were taken out on a nature trail programme at Deepor Beel Ramsar Site here at the initiative of Aaranyak, a premier bi-diversity conservation organisation in the Northeast. The children were exposed to wonderful experience of bird watching by experts and volunteers of Aaranyak who also hosted a group discussion and quiz on tiger as part of the event.The nature trail programme was organised as part of  ‘Kids for Tiger Conservation’ programme with partnership of Aircel and Sanctuary Asia magazine, according to Manas Kumar Bhattachryya, city coordinator of Kid for Tiger.Aaranyak’s biologist Namita Brahma and...
A sub-adult greater adjutant stork named “Arshiya” by her rescuers was today released back to the freedom of natural environment   at Boragaon at the outskirt of Guwahati city  at the initiatives of Aaranyak, a premier conservation organitation in the region, in cooperation  with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara here.“Arshiya”(the bird) was found in marooned condition in Dadara village, near Guwahati. She was safely rescued by local villagers and a group of conservationist comprising Ms Purnima Devi Barman of Aaranyak, Dr Parag Deuri of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Dr Samsul Ali  of College of Veterinary...
A two-day orientation workshop was organised at Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) for tourist guides under the aegis of Guwahati Wildlife Division in association with Aaranyak and Jeep Safari Association, Pabitora on October 26-27 last.Setting workshop in motion, the DFO of Guwahati Wildlife Division  D D Gogoi mentioned about the important role Jeep Safari Association could play in uplifting the image of  the wildlife sanctuary so that it receives more visitors. He also spoke on rhino conservation efforts in   Assam with special reference to Pabitora  WLS which has the highest density of one-horned  rhinoceros on the globe.Dr Bibhab Talukdar, secretary general...
The mother and the wife are two most important women in a man’s life because they can have great influence on his actions and thereby on the course of his life. Nepoleon Bonaparte once said, “Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation.”  Taking this truth into account Aarayak in collaboration with authority of Manas National Park (MNP) has undertaken a unique initiative to facilitate about visit of 1200 women from fringe villages to the picturesque Manas National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Assam bordering Bhutan.In the first phase Aaranyak and the MNP authority have organised a day-long trip for 100 women from villages bordering Bansbari, Bhuyanpara and Panbari...
A group of teachers from areas close to Manas National Park (MNP) attended a day-long orientation programme on conservation education on Sunday last at Jharbari under Kokrajhar District.Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation in collaboration with Siknajhar Nounwgwr Adventure Tourism Society ( SNATS ) and Forest department Bodoland Territorial Council jointly organised the programme. Aaranyak took the initiative to organise the programme in pursuit of its goal to create a pool of ‘green teachers’ in the region so that they could sensitise the younger generation on the need for protection and preservation of our natural environment.Dhrubajyoti Kalita a volunteer of Aaranyak...
Aaranyak  has conducted a series of mass awareness campaign in the villages located in the fringe areas of Orang National Park in Darrang district of Assam  covering a cross-section of people from all age groups. The basic objective of the awareness campaign was to sensitise the people living in fringe area of Orang National Park about the need for conservation of wildlife habitat in Orang Park.The first programme of the series was launched  on September 3 at Silbori Junior College, Orang where over 300 persons attended.  The day’s programme included a talk on biodiversity of Northeast India by Arif Hussain of Aaranyak , a talk on animal rescue by Uttam Saikia, Honorary...
Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organization, along with Wildlife Protection Society of India and Wildlife Society of Odisha has submitted a joint memorandum to the Government of India through the Joint Director of Rajya Sabha Directorate demanding withdrawal of the Section 44 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act Amendment Bill 2013 which has been tabled in Rajya Sabha by the Government of India.The memorandum stated that though the said amendment bill had proposed several   progressive measures for protection of wildlife in the country, the Section 44 will be detrimental to the livelihood security of lakhs of fishing community people as well as common people in the...
Non government organisation Aaranyak and the Numaligarh Refinary Limited in association with the Kaziranga National Park authority has carried out a series of pre-flood awareness camps to minimize the death of wild animals during flood and seek support of the communities to ensure  safe return  of the flood-displaced animals to the park.A series of 12  such camps have been organized recently covering as  many villages from Agoratoli Range to Buhrapahar range on the southern fringe of the park.Kaziranga World Heritage site, famous for its one-horned rhino and very high density of tiger is a flood plain ecosystems and flood is an annual phenomenon here. Flood is also...
The ‘Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India’ (Forum), Pune and Aaranyak, Guwahati are jointly organising a public lecture programme on June 21 where the Second Northeast Water Lecture would be delivered by Prof. Amita Baviskar, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, on "Waterscapes: Bringing Culture and Power into the Debate on Rivers". On the same occasion a publication titled “Water Conflicts in Northeast India: A Compendium of Case Studies” published by the Forum recently will be released by Prof. A. C. Bhagabati, Former Vice Chancellor of Arunachal University, Itanagar and present Honorary Coordinator...