There are more than a couple of highways that lead to the Guwahati International Airport. One of the lesser known is a slightly meandering road through an area that’s a throwback to the times when Guwahati was considered to be a sleepy town. Taking this second route means views of paddy fields and hyacinth covered water bodies are more common than urban settlements plagued by faulty town planning. This route also runs along a stretch of the 40 sq. km. Deepor Beel, or Elephant’s Lake. Herds of elephants actually come down from the nearby hills to frolic in the water as well as feed on a particular flower that blooms amongst the water hyacinth in the shallow stretches. Deepor Beel also supports an amazing variety of local and migratory bird species. And its rich source of fishing species acts as a source of livelihood for several nearby villages since ancient times.
Though this waterbody that was once a port of local Ahom kings (it was connected to the Brahmaputra River) has being anointed the status of a Ramsar Wetland, it is hugely threatened by a modern malaise called ‘unbridled greed meets unplanned development’. The incongruous sight of a huge landfill near the wetland is testament to the incredible shortsightedness of the human race.
Deepor Beel is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the region. Hope persists that better sense will prevail and stronger measures to protect this fragile wetland ecosystem will be taken.
