Guwahati’s Deepor Beel brings smiles to nature lovers

GUWAHATI: Good news for nature lovers. At the beginning of the year, good news came from a permanent freshwater lake on the outskirts of Guwahati, locally called ‘Deepore Beel’.

Deepor Beel, a haven for migratory birds, has witnessed severe devastation due to pollution of several drains.

Deepor Beel was recognized as a Ramsar site in November 2002. Although it has been almost two decades since it received the coveted recognition, over the years the question has been raised whether Deepor Beel can maintain this status.

As it is slowly losing the features required to be a Ramsar site.

However, the census done in the bird sanctuary on Wednesday has brought a smile on the face of nature lovers.

A team of ornithologists, some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the state forest department carried out bird census at the Ramsar site on Wednesday.

The results of this bird count, which lasted for several hours, brought smiles on everyone’s faces.

Compared to last year, this census saw more number of birds in the lake.

While final results are awaited, this year’s census estimates the number of birds to be between 17,000 and 18,000. The census also showed an increase in the number of bird species.

The last bird census in February 2022 found more than 10,000 birds of 66 species in Deep Beach.

In 2002, 19,000 birds of 291 species were found. Over time, the number of birds began to dwindle due to threats to the survival of the bird sanctuary.

Deepor Beel is home to various native and migratory birds. The beauty of the lake increases with the arrival of winter as thousands of migratory birds flock to the wetlands.

deepor beel brings smiles to nature lovers