What is in news : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the eco-sensitive zone of Deepar Beel Wildlife Sanctuary

Details :

• The notification specified an area “to an extent varying from 294 metres to 16.32 km” as the eco-sensitive zone with the total area being 148.9767 sq. km.
• Threats :
  • Railway track — set to be doubled and electrified
  • Garbage dumpand
  • Encroachment for human habitation Commercial units

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

DEEPER BEEL

• Located to the south-west of Guwahati city, in Kamrup district of Assam, India.
• Permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the main river.
• Wetland under the Ramsar Convention which has listed since November 2002, for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental importance.
• Considered as one of the largest beels in the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam, it is categorised as a representative of the wetland type under the Burma monsoon forest biogeographic region.
• Important bird sanctuary habituating many migrant species.
• Freshwater fish is a vital protein and source of income for these communities; the health of these people is stated to be directly dependent on the health of this wetland ecosystem.