Silsako Lake (also known as Silsako Beel) is 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 ...
and
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
located at the heart of the
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 and surrounded by villages like Satgaon, Hengrabari and Mathgharia in
Kamrup Metropolitan district
Kamrup Metropolitan district is one of the 35 districts in Assam state in north-eastern India. It was carved out of the erstwhile undivided Kamrup district in 2003 and covers an area equivalent to the area under the jurisdiction of the Guwahati ...
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 ...
.
Guwahati Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Act 2008 has specifically notified the Silsako Lake in the Schedule I to IV along with six other wetlands 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 ...
.
Etymology
''Silsako'' () is the
Assamese term for ''Stone Bridge''. ''Beel'' () means
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
in
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 ...
.
Area
Silsako lake has a length of approximately 5 km and an average width of .
[
]
2023 evictions
On 26 February 2023, GMDA through ''Pratidin Time
Pratidin Time is a 24-hour Assamese news channel. The programs of the channel include various infotainment, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, showbiz, fashion, and education.
History
Pratidin Time, is a 24-hour Assamese satellite news channel ...
'' informed that a major eviction drive would be carried out against encroached land belonging to Silsako lakenamghar
''Namghar'' ( ) is a place for congregational worship associated with the entire Assamese community and the ''Ekasarana'' sect of Hinduism, in particular, that is native to Assam. Besides forming the primary structure used for worship, they a ...
s'' and mosques.
Following the initial evictions, many evictees complained of a lack of prior notice about the eviction, and many of the local residents including indigenous groups, claimed that their evicted land was legal and they even held GMC holding numbers. The drive was set to last until 3 March,
See also
* List of lakes of Assam
References
{{reflist
Lakes of Assam
Tourist attractions in Guwahati
Wetlands of Assam