The document summarizes a visit to Deepor Beel wetland in Assam, India, which is designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. However, the author found the wetland to be under precarious management. There was no clear transportation available and officials were not present. The author also witnessed picnics and waste within the wetland boundaries. While the wetland provides valuable ecosystem services worth an estimated 9.11 billion rupees, it faces threats from encroachment, pollution from Guwahati city, and overgrowth of invasive plants. The author calls for improved management, delineation of boundaries, research, and raising awareness about the wetland's economic and ecological importance

1. A Wetland
of
International Importance
Under
Precarious State
of
Management
Kumar Deepak
(Environmentalist)

2. Deepor Beel is one of the Wetland Ecosystem, designated
as the “Wetlands of International Importance” under the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971. Being a Ramsar
site, this wetland habitation allocated 10km South-West
from the Guwahati city, stands as a pride ecological
destination of the State of Assam. Deepor Beel has an
estimated gross area of 4,100 Hectares with an open
lake basin having perennial water carrying Gross area
1010 Hectares connected with a set of inflow-runoff
from the adjacent hills & Guwahati City, Mara-Bharalu &
Basistha Bahini & out flow through Khandajan. This
wetland has an Important Birds Area/IBA which has been
notified as a Bird Sanctuary within an estimated area
of 410 Hectares.

4. I visited this significant Ramsar Site on 30 December
2013. Despite of a globally significant eco-tourism
site, I faced the worst ever experience in managing the
varying degree of transportation cost (1000 INR-1500
INR within the 10 kms range) from the Guwahati Station
to the wetland site. I preferred the Bus service. Any
how
I
reached
the
Deepor
Wildlife
Sanctuary.
I
introduced myself to an employee there & requested him
to call on the Wildlife Official. But unfortunately he
was not available on that working day. Although the
employee cooperated me in the mobile monitoring of the
wetland area sailing over the boat all across the lake
channel. I requested the employee to carry the dustbin
to the site alongside the lakes where school students
were organizing picnic. He made a pledge to the school
students to throw the waste into the disposal bin.
Major questions arise;

6.  Why do the Deepor Beel Wildlife Officials allow
such picnics within the premises?
 Why do our school academic Environmental Sciences
syllabi fail to decipher about the economic benefit
of the wetland ecosystem services?
 Why does the Department of Environment, Assam fail
to enforce the guidelines mentioned under the
Ramsar Convention with regard to conservation &
protection of the Wetland Ecosystem?

7. Wetland Ecosystem is considered to be one of the most
productive ecosystems of the world. There are twelve
villages around the periphery of this wetland. So far,
Department of Environment, Assam could not set up a
team to assess the primary benefits of the Deepor
Wetland Ecosystem services. We have so far ignored the
potential economic & ecological benefits of the wetland
especially to the people of surrounding habitat. Deepor
Beel is the waterlogged asset for them. This Ramsar
site is providing some major tangible or direct
services to the locals, inter alia, include production
of food like fishes, paddy, fruits, rhizomes; a major
water supply & storage for the domestic, Industrial &
agricultural purposes; the biggest provider of food,
fodder, fibre & fuel (wood); supply of plants with
diverse medicinal qualities; genetic materials for the
variety of uses. Deepor Beel is providing some major
intangible or indirect services such as local climate
regulation; a main carbon sink system for the Green
House Gases; water cycle regulator including underground water level & their discharge as well as
recharge; mitigating the impact of natural disasters
like flood & storm; erosion regulator & soil formation;
a water purifier & waste treatment. Deepor Beel is
offering some major habitat services such assisting
favorable habitat for the flora & fauna, nutrient
cycling,
seed
dispersal;
primary
production.
This
Ramsar site has some significant cultural values
include spiritual needs of some people & recreational,
aesthetics & educational facilities.

8. The State policy makers should know the huge monitory
value of the Deepor Beel. The Economics of Ecosystem &
its Biodiversity (TEEBS),a renowned functionary of the
United Nations Environment Programme assessed the
monitory value of the Wetland at INR 22,24,350 Per
Hectare ( 1 USD = 50INR) in 2012. Therefore the gross
monitory value of the Deepor Beel is around INR 9.11
Billion. Deepor Beel acts as ideal aquifers to provide
fresh under-ground drinking water with no content of
Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, Iron, Fluorine etc. The Biggest
characteristic of the Wetland is to act as a Mass Water
Purifier. Apart from such major Ecosystem Services,
This Ramsar Site is a habitat of some threatened
species of Birds like Spotted Pelican, Lesser & Greater
Adjutant Stork, and Baer’s Pochard etc. This wetland
habitat provides a great fishing ground for the local
rural inhabitants around as many as 50 species of fish
are reported. The flora species are an important
livelihood options for the local inhabitants; include
Nymphaea nuts & flowers are being harvested for sale.
The seeds of Giant Water Lily Euryale ferox are
annually leased by the Government Revenue Department.

10. Now a Day Deepor Beel excluding the 410 Hectares of the
Notified habitat of the Wildlife Bird Sanctuary is
heavily infested with Water Hyacinth, besides growing
weeds such as Hydrilla & Nymphaea etc. raise serious
concern over enhancing eutrophication due to the influx
of huge amount of untreated Guwahati urban sewage &
other inorganic/industrial effluents & Agricultural
run-off.There is a drastic decline of around 60 Square
Km due to the laying Railway lines that divided the
wetlands into small pockets & peoples are encroaching
the land within the Beel area by constructing concrete
houses & huts. There is an evident of plastic wastes on
Mass scale around the Railways Bridge Zone of the
Deepor Lake. It shows serious mis-management of the
Deepor Wildlife Sanctuary authority. When I asked about
such heavy plastic zones within the notified zone of
the Wildlife Sanctuary, the only available employee
explored about the dumping of wastes by Guwahati
Municipal Corporation. Guwahati City has no waste
treatment plant & the waste is directly discharged into
the River Brahmaputra & Beel, via Basistha-Bahini inlet
canal.

11. Deepor Beel is one of the Global Eco-tourism sites in
India. It’s been becoming a substance of research to
assess “The Economics of Wetland Ecosystem & its
Biodiversity”.
The
basic
principle
of
wetland
conservation that it should be utilized for the benefit
of the people without compromising the biodiversity
values in a sustainable way. If the Wise-Use Principle
along with the ecosystem services values of the
wetlands is accepted by policy makers & planners, much
of the conflicts with conservations would become nonexistent.

12. This is the responsibility of the local people those
are the potential beneficiaries of the economic &
ecological values of the Deepor Wetland habitat to
protect & conserve it. The State Government should work
on a Proper Management Action Plan include; Demarcation
of Boundary; Construction of Embankments to prevent
further
encroachment;
Dredging
of
silted
areas;
Carrying forward the scientific research on contour
mapping Plan, Catchment Areas Upgradation Plan, water
quality as well as floral & fauna studies. It’s an
urgent time to address the comprehensive plan structure
to rejuvenate the Deepor Beel. We must have to assess
the socio-economic significance of the economics of the
wetland ecosystem & its bio-diversity. There is an
urgent need to introduce diverse applied awareness
methodologies to understand the potential economic &
ecological benefits.

14. Bureaucrats, planners & developers have so far overlook
or deliberately neglect the fact that the depletion of
the wetland habitat affects the people around the
peripheral areas especially the poor for whom the
wetlands are the resource base for sustenance.
I pledge the Department of Environment to fix entry
ticket fee structure separately for the tourists, Steel
Camera & Video recording. The revenue generated shall
be utilized for the management of the wetland site.

15. Understanding the Economics
of
Wetland Ecosystem
Journey continues....