Assam: Protecting its Lifeblood - Why Wetland Conservation Matters
On May 27, 2020, a catastrophic blow out at an oil well at Baghjan in Assam’s Tinsukia district led to an uncontrolled release of crude oil that severely hit communities inhabiting in and around the area. In the days that followed there had been several protests and demands for adequate compensation to the losses but the most striking demand I came across was from a middle-aged woman, who repeatedly demanded “Amar beelkhon amak ghurai diyok!”(Give us back our beel (wetland).
She was devastated to have found not only her belongings lost but the consequent oil spill causing irreversible damage to the Maguri-Motapung Beel—one of the most important wetlands in the region. According to a later report authored by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Assam Forest Department, MK Yadava, the blowout destroyed 16.32 square kilometres of wetland area.
Over 90 per cent of the people living in the adjoining villages of the wetland are directly depended on the beel for their livelihood. The indigenous communities engaged in agriculture and fishing feared loss of livelihood with their land become unproductive and water sources poisoned.
The distraught woman’s demand continues as a stark reminder how communities are dependent on bio resources of wetlands across the country for their livelihood as we celebrate another World Wetlands Day with the theme “Wetlands and human Wellbeing”—that focuses on the interconnectedness between wetlands and various aspects of human wellbeing including physical, mental and environmental health.
For global biodiversity and sustaining human life
Apart from rivers, wetlands are major water-based ecosystem. Since the 1970s, the benefits and value of the world’s wetlands are increasingly receiving due attention. While biodiversity has become ‘natural capital’ and ecological economics has gained popularity globally, the wetlands’ function in a wider economic sense has now been looked into from different perspectives and accepted as the richest among all ecosystems.
Wetlandsare vital to our water needs, food production and act as important repositories of aquatic biodiversity. In addition to hosting a wide variety of plant and animal life, wetlands also provide water storage, filtration and offer us protection from floods. The role of wetlands is enormous in maintaining environmental quality, ground water recharge and livelihood support. Wetlands also provide opportunities for recreation.
Freshwater wetlands need to be protected for their unique biodiversity and if properly managed--wetlands could be a source of immense wealth apart from helping in enrichment of the quality of environment.
However, with a burgeoning population and on face of rapid economic growth, India’s wetlands are highly threatened. From high altitude wetlands to flood plain wetlands down to the coastal and island wetland—a number of factors have been responsible for the rapid decline in wetland ecosystem. These include--urbanization, siltation, overfishing, human interference, land and water grabs, low volume of freshwater inflow, choking of lagoon mouths due to silt deposition, changes in aquatic vegetation, pollution and sometimes impact of salt production.
Centre’s pledge to restore wetlands
The Union Ministry of Environment has emphasized the critical role of these unique ecosystems in realizing the government's scheme of Har Ghar Main Jal that focuses not only on bringing water to households but also on source protection and revival of wetlands. More than 100 wetlands, essential for combating land degradation, have already been identified for restoration. Plans have been afoot to identify and classify wetlands and their regular monitoring with wetland health cards.
On the eve of World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2024, five more wetlands in India have been added to the global list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention. On January 31, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the addition of five important wetland of the country to the Ramsar list taking the total of Ramsar sites in India to 80. Among these 80 are the Deepor beel (Assam), Loktak Lake (Manipur), Pala Wetland (Mizoram) and the Rudrasagar Lake (Tripura) in the north eastern region are designated as Ramsar sites.
Rapid decline in natural wetlands in Brahmaputra valley
The Brahmaputra valley has a distinctive natural environment that depends largely on wetlands. The innumerable fresh water lakes locally called beels, ox-bow lakes, marshy tracts and thousands of ponds and tanks—all part of landscape ecosystem-- use to hold water almost throughout the year. Besides, these serve as the habitat for thousands of species of flora and fauna.
In Assam, most of the freshwater wetlands derive their name depending on the abundance the fish variety. For instance, Maguri Motapung Beel derived its name from ‘Magur’, Catfish in local language found in the wetland in abundance. Not only fishes, these freshwater wetlands are a repository of biodiversity with aquatic vegetation, crustaceans, reptiles, frogs, molluscs, insects, worms, etc on which thrive a host of water birds—both resident and migratory.
Wetlands of Kaziranga support spectacular concentration of wildlife like the Great One-horned Rhino, Water Buffalo, Eastern Swamp Deer and various species of avi fauna. These wetlands have also been protecting hundreds of different species of fish and reptiles. In fact, Kaziranga is the only left-out area for fish breeding up to Bangladesh.
Assam comes seventh in terms of the area covered by wetlands, while it tops the list when it comes to fresh water wetlands in the whole of India. However, many of the wetlands are fast disappearing. Most rapid has been the decline in natural wetlands.
Poor governance
Poor governance has been a factor for loss of important wetlands in the state. “There has been rapid conversion of water bodies to other uses and their function in a wider economic sense has largely been ignored. Wetlands act as important repositories of aquatic biodiversity. In Assam, there is an appalling lack of awareness among the masses about the functions and significance of these crucial components of the ecosystem,” said Dr. Pradip Sharma, chief editor of the book Harnessing Wetlands for Sustainable Livelihood.
India got her first rules on wetland conservation in 2010 which were revised in 2017. As per the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 states have now State Wetland Authority (SWA). SWA needs to prepare a list of all notified wetlands and those to be notified and have a digital inventory. “The State governments need to prepare a wetland inventory within their jurisdiction but here, in Assam, required leadership of state government not emerging, “ said Moloy Baruah of Early Birds—an environment NGO.
On the other hand the Assam government’s proposals on Deepor Beel--the state’s only Ramsar site—development has irked conservationists. The Guwahati smart city mission plan envisages Deepar beel as a water park. Recently the Assam Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika reiterating the state government’s commitment for beautification and development of Deepor Beel, directed the Kamrup Metropolitan District officials to conduct studies on building embankments around the lake site. Plans include construction of a road around the lake, a cycle track and also boating facilities at the lake.
Deepor beel has become a classic example how wetlands are abused due to clashes of multiple interest. Deepor, as the very name suggests, is a traditional refuge of the elephant and has been protected as a wildlife sanctuary. Deepor is also an important Bird Area but continuous encroachment reduced this once 4,000 hectare (ha) wetland shrunk into less than 500 ha area and degradation of this important water body started heavily with dumping of waste by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) since 2006. Inspection made to Deepor beel by judicial member of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), noted that waste was being dumped “not beyond the site but within it,” and “demarcations are made by drying out areas or cutting off water sources”.
Periodical tests conducted by the Pollution Control Board show increasing pollution levels in the wetland’s ecology. There had been large-scale fatalities of the Greater Adjutant Storks in recent years due to the consumption lethal substances by the foraging birds. The sanctuary, in order to remain alive and perform some definite ecosystem services, needs more a conservational approach. However, government policies seem to ride over this very fact.