Deepor Beel

Deepor Beel Latest News

Illegal earth cutting from a wetland connected to Deepor Beel is continuing unabated in the Satmile area of Guwahati, despite prohibitory orders from the district administration and restrictions imposed by the Gauhati High Court.

About Deepor Beel

• It is a permanent freshwater lake located on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam. 
• It lies in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River.
• Beel is an Assamese local word which means ‘lake’, and the name Deepor Beel means the ‘lake of elephants’.
• It covers an area of 4.1 sq.km. It is considered one of the biggest lakes of the Brahmaputra Valley of Lower Assam.
• It is surrounded by steep highlands on the northern and southern sides, and its main sources of water are the Kalmani and Basistha Rivers.
• It is the only major stormwater storage basin for the city of Guwahati. 
• The lake’s outflow is the Khandajan rivulet, which joins the Brahmaputra.
• It was recognised as a Ramsar Site in 2002 and as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) in 2004. It is the only Ramsar site in the state of Assam.
• This lake is a staging site on migratory flyways, and some of the largest concentrations of aquatic birds in Assam can be seen, especially in winter. 
• Some globally threatened birds are supported, including Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Greater Adjutant Stork, and Baer’s Pochard.
• About 50 fish species and aquatic resources provide livelihood support to about 1,200 households residing in about 12 villages on the fringes of the wetland.
• The Rani and Garbhanga hills, the habitat of the Asiatic elephants on the southern side of the beel, are part of this ecosystem.

Source: SENT

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