Guwahati’s wetlands turn ‘wastelands’ as they fail to hold rainwater

GUWAHATI: City wetlands are fast dying and the government, despite its repeated assertions to protect and the preserve them, has done precious little and this inaction has turned vast areas like Chandmari, Gandhibasti, Islampur, Chenikuthi, Ambari, Lakhtokia, Chatribari, Tokobari, Rehabari and Paltan Bazaar into basins after every spell of rain. The wetlands are choking and have lost the capacity to absorb rainwater.
Sola beel, Borsola beel and Sorusola beel are shrinking at an alarming rate due to rapid encroachment in the last 10 years and this despite the existence of the Guwahati Water Bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Act, 2008, and the Gauhati High Court’s directive in 2000 to the effect that the beels should be properly preserved and kept free of pollution.
Encroachment at Deepor beel has drastically reduced the size of the lake from 40 sqkm about 50 years ago to just 4 sqkm. The Sola, Borsola and Sorusola lakes are natural rainwater reservoirs and play a key role in sustaining the ecology. The Borsola beel has been ravaged by construction, soil fill-up and dumping of garbage. The water has not only been polluted, the wetland has also shrunk and this has reduced its capacity to hold storm water.
Hemen Lahkar, president of the Greater Chatribari Development Committee and a conservationist, said, “Encroachment of the lake bed has resulted in the reduction of the lake size. In 2006, the then government allotted six bighas of Borsola to the Tourism Development Corporation for the construction of a tourist lodge, while a huge part of the Sarusola beel was handed over to a college, an eye hospital and some businessmen for the construction of business establishments.” He added that the condition worsened in the last five years with rapid encroachment on the eastern side of the Borsola beel. Moreover, both the lakes turned into dumping grounds. The authorities concerned have not done anything to protect the wetlands except cleaning water hyacinths despite repeated complaints and requests.” In 1975, the state government had for the first time, mooted a proposal to save the beel from extinction. But, barring the construction of a boundary wall along a section of the beel, nothing much had been done to protect it. A high level committee on wetland conservation formed by the state government in 1995 recommended that the revenue department should not allow any more settlements in and around the beel area. Following this recommendation, the revenue department cancelled the allotment of 30 bighas of wetland areas to different individuals/departments.
“We have moved from office to office, department to department demanding steps to protect the lakes. We also moved the Gauhati High Court in 2000, when the court directed the government to protect the lakes. But, nothing happened,” he added.
He further said, “An office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is situated on the eastern side of the Borsola beel. Political leaders, MLAs and MPs gather in the office right from the morning till late night. I do not know if the condition of the lakes has drawn their attention or if they are simply looking the other way.”
The development of the Borsola beel was the first project of the Guwahati Smart City Limited, established in 2016. A total of Rs 80 crore was allotted for the development of the wetland. “Unfortunately, no steps were taken. The lake needs to be revived to solve flooding of the city during rains. The present condition of the beels speaks volumes about the commitments of the previous governments, which did nothing to preserve them,” said Lahkar.