Pollution levels soar in Ramsar site Deepor Beel; activists call for swift action

Guwahati, Dec 18: Voicing serious concern over the worsening pollution levels in the Ramsar Site wetland Deepor Beel from indiscriminate garbage dumping by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the discharge of sewage-contaminated water from the Mora Bharalu, Basistha and Bahini rivers, the Deepor Beel Suraksha Mancha on Tuesday said that the GMC had been violating all norms for garbage disposal at its Boragaon site located very close to the wetland.

The Mancha also demanded that the proposed railway track from Azara to Tetelia along the Deepor Beel and cutting through the Rani- Garbhanga reserve forest be halted immediately given the grave danger it poses to both the wetland's biodiversity and the local indigenous tribal inhabitants.

"Survey for the project has already been completed and unless rescinded, the railway project will further jeopardize the biodiversity of the Deepor Beel and the Rani- Garbhanga reserve forests. It will also severely impact the local tribal settlements," Henry David Teron and Pramod Kalita, president and secretary respectively of the Mancha told newsmen.

"We demand shifting of the illegally-established dumping ground from Deepor Beel area, stopping of polluted water of the Mora Bharalu, Basistha and Bahini rivers into the wetland, and a stop to the proposed railway track," they said.

Pointing out that several assessments by authorities like the Pollution Control Board Assam (PCBA) had found the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of the wetland above the prescribed standard of 3.0mg/1, Kalita said that the PCBA had mentioned: "it indicates that the water of Deepor Beel is contaminated perhaps from the dumping sites at Boragaon area or from storm-water runoffs, etc."

Asserting that the dumping ground was 'illegal' and operating in violation of National Green Tribunal (NGT) tional Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, Kalita said that the GMC authorities had been allowing the dumping ground allowing the dumping ground to be in a perennially burning status for several months.

"The limit for solid waste management was 150 tons daily but the relevant conditions and guidelines have been violated. Wastes must not be burnt but that has been being done for ten months at a stretch. There should be a plantation of local varieties of trees over one-third of the dumping area but that is missing. There should also be a buffer zone of 500 metres, but the dumping ground is on land close to the Pamohi river and the floodplains. Sanitary landfill can be allowed in the place but the authorities are using it for mixed- open dumping. There is no monitoring of ground-water quality assessment nor is there any treatment of contaminated and discharged water, and there is a direct link between the dumping ground and Deepor Beel. Also, there is no mechanism to control the stench emanating from the dumping ground," Kalita said.

Pointing out that under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 and the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the conservation of Deepor Beel was mandatory, the Mancha office-bearers said that though according to the GMC affidavit filed be- fore NGT there have been being decentralization of garbage disposal in the Old Jail area (2.95 bighas), Purabi Dairy, Sixmile (2 bighas), Adabari (5 bighas), Mathgharia (2.9 bighas) and Odalbakra (2 kathas); but in practice, the garbage has been dumped centrally at Deepor Beel only.

By-

Staff Reporter