Dipor Bil, also spelled Deepor Beel (Pron: dɪpɔ:(r) bɪl) (''bil'' or '' beel'' means "lake" in the local

Assamese language Assamese () or Asamiya ( ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language. It has long served as a ''lingua franca'' in parts of Northeast India."Axomiya is the major langu ...

), is located to the south-west of

Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...

city, in Kamrup Metropolitan district of

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, India. It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the

Brahmaputra River The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese language, Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Lhasa Tibetan, Tibetan, the Siang/Dihan ...

, to the south of the main river. In 1989, 4.1 km² of the area was declared a

wildlife sanctuary A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...

by the

Government of Assam The Government of Assam or Assam Government abbreviated as GoAS, is the Subnational legislature, state government of the Indian state of Assam. It consists of the Governors of states of India, Governor appointed by the President of India as th ...

. It is listed as a

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...

which designated the lake as a

Ramsar Site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

Ramsor sites
Considered one of the largest beels in the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam, it is categorised as representative of the

type under the

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

monsoon forest biogeographic region.http://envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/Wetland%20Inventory.pdf Wet Land Inventory.pdf, Deepor Beel, pages 195–202 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.http://www.globalresponse.org/gra.php?i=1/08 Protect Wetland Bird Paradise/India Freshwater fish is a vital source of protein and income for these communities; the health of these people is stated to be directly dependent 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".

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 Assam 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 (LGB Int. Airport). A 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 cultivated 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 Giant Water Lily,

water hyacinth ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive species, invasive outside its native rang ...

, aquatic grasses, water lilies 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 Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal f ...

, emergent vegetation, water hyacinth patches, net-grass land patches are reported *Migratory water-fowl, residential water-fowl and terrestrial

avifauna Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight ...

are common in paddy field areas, dry

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

areas and scattered forest areas. A total of 18 genera of

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater Aquatic ecosystem, ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek language, Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), mea ...

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 crassipes'', ''

Pistia stratiotes ''Pistia'' is a genus of aquatic plants in the arum family, Araceae. It is the sole genus in the tribe ''Pistieae'' which reflects its systematic isolation within the family. The single species it comprises, ''Pistia stratiotes'', is often call ...

'', '' Ottelia alismoides'', '' Lemna minor'', ''

Potamogeton crispus ''Potamogeton crispus'', the crisp-leaved pondweed, curly pondweed, curly-leaf pondweed or curled pondweed, is a species of aquatic plant (hydrophyte) native to Eurasia but an introduced species and often a noxious weed in North America. Descr ...

'', '' Vallisneria spiralis'', '' Hydrilla verticillata'', ''

Ipomoea aquatica ''Ipomoea aquatica'', commonly known as water spinach or kangkung, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is wi ...

'' ( syn. ''I. reptans''), '' Azolla pinnata'', '' Spirodela polyrhiza'', '' Eleocharis plantaginea'', ''

Nymphaea alba ''Nymphaea alba'', the white waterlily, European white water lily or white nenuphar , is an aquatic flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia (Jammu and Kashmir). Since '' ...

'', '' Nymphaea rubra'' and ''

Sagittaria sagittifolia ''Sagittaria sagittifolia'' (also called arrowhead because of the shape of its leaves) is an Old World flowering plant in the family Alismataceae. Description ''Sagittaria sagittifolia'' is a herbaceous perennial plant, growing in water from ...

''. *''

Euryale ferox ''Euryale ferox'', commonly known as prickly waterlily, makhana, or Gorgon plant, is a species of water lily found in southern and eastern Asia, and the only extant member of the genus ''Euryale''. The edible seeds, called fox nuts or ''makhana' ...

'', a giant water lily with edible seeds, are leased to earn revenue for the government. Other lake shore vegetation include: *'' Eupatorium adoratum'', '' Achyranthes aspera'', '' Cyperus esculentus'', '' Phragmites karka'', '' Vitex trifolia'', '' Accium basilium'', '' Saccharum spontaneum'' and '' Imperata arundinacea''. Dominant tree species in the nearby

Deciduous forests In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, after flo ...

in the beel basin are species of ''

Tectona grandis Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panic ...

'' or common teak, ''

Ficus benghalensis ''Ficus benghalensis'', ''Ficus indica'', or ''Ficus audrey'' commonly known as the banyan, banyan fig and Indian banyan, is a tree native to the Indian Subcontinent. Specimens in India are among the largest trees in the world by canopy coverage. ...

'', ''

Shorea robusta ''Shorea robusta'', the sal tree, sāla, shala, sakhua, or sarai, is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The tree is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet and across the Himalayan regions. Evolution Fossil evidence from lig ...

'' and '' Bombax malabaricum''. In the surrounding forest area, aquarium plants, medicinal plant and

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth ...

of commercial value are reported.

Avifauna

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

spot-billed pelican The spot-billed pelican (''Pelecanus philippensis'') or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially larg ...

(''Pelecanus philippensis''), lesser adjutant stork (''Leptoptilos javanicus''), Baer's pochard (''Aythya baeri''), Pallas's sea eagle (''Haliaeetus leucoryphus''), greater adjutant stork (''Leptoptilos dubius''). Spotbilled pelican

Among the large number of migratory water fowl, the

Siberian crane The Siberian crane (''Leucogeranus leucogeranus''), also known as the Siberian white crane or the snow crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the crane (bird), cranes. They are distinctive among the cranes: adults are nearly all White, snowy whi ...

(''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. In 2023, it was reported that the population of birds like the Pheasant Tailed Jacana has been declining. Considering the richness of the bird varieties found in the beel, the

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

has declared Deepor Beel as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) with high priority for conservation.

Aquatic fauna

Surveys have revealed 20 amphibians, 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.

Land fauna

Wild

Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living ''Elephas'' species. It is the largest living land animal in Asia and the second largest living Elephantidae, elephantid in the world. It is char ...

s (''Elephas maximus''),

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

jungle cat The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat and swamp cat, is a medium-sized cat native from the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Caucasus to parts of Central, South and Southeast Asia. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, ...

and the protected barking deer, Chinese porcupine 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 catchment of the beel use the beel for: *Fishing *As a 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 boro paddy – 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. For the last few years, Deepor Beel has been dealing with too many water hyacinths growing, causing trouble for the people living there, according to residents' reports. 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 *Allotment 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) *Boragaon garbage dumping site adjoining the Dipor Bil

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. Weeds 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 Kilns 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.

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, including kingfishers, fishing

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

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: *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. *Aaranyak, a non-governmental 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 security" is 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." *

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was ...

, 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. *The Animal Ecology Laboratory in the Department of Zoology, Guwahati University has been involved in biological studies of the beel. *Parangam Sarma Basistha, an architect and urban planner from Guwahati, have been involving in research on Impact of urbanisation in the wetland and worked for conservation of the Deepor Beel through the development of land use of the catchment areas. *Chandan Kumar Duarah (Pratidin Group) and Mubina Akhtar, environmentalists have been studying and working for preservation of the wetland and published many reports.

Guwahati Water bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill, 2008

The Guwahati Waterbodies (Preservation and Conservation) Bill, 2008 has been passed with the objective of preserving the wetland, minimising the problem of waterlogging in the city and creating an eco-friendly atmosphere. With this Bill at its command, the Government of Assam is planning to re-acquire land in the periphery of Deepor Beel, to undertake development projects, including water sports at the beel, and for this purpose a budgetary allocation of about US $3 million (Rs.12 crores) has been approved.Rs 12cr for Deepor Beel-Waterbody bill passed in Assembly
/ref>

References

{{Ramsar sites in India Lakes of Assam Ramsar sites in India Tourist attractions in Guwahati Tourism in Assam Kamrup district 2002 establishments in Assam Protected areas established in 2002 Wetlands of Assam