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Guwahati: Aaranyak, one of India’s leading biodiversity conservation organizations, hosted a day-long consultation workshop on ‘Rivers and Wetlands’ in Guwahati on an integrated action plan. and renewal, protection, and sustainable urban development’, Monday at NEDFi.
The workshop was supported by the State Innovation and Transformation Ayog (SITA) and organized in collaboration with the Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC).
Assam Housing and Urban Affairs and Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal who attended the workshop requested all the concerned parties to revive and protect the dying as well as polluted rivers and water in Guwahati.
Singhal lauded the initiative of the Aaranyak local organization from home and said that the unruly development of the city over the years is the cause of the problem, because in reality there is no stream left, no land left. wet and not abused.
He said that the state government was working on the revival of all these wetlands, and he asked for support from all relevant parties. He stated that 50-60% of municipal waste will be processed in the project next year.
The minister said that the chief minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma is very interested in the protection of wetlands and the government has taken steps to revive the Deepor and Silsako areas of the city.
According to the directive of the Prime Minister, water bodies should be protected throughout the country. We hope that this workshop will result in the continuous protection of the water balance in the city and its surroundings and will help to restore it, said the minister.
Assam’s capital, Guwahati, serves as a gateway not only to the NE region but also to Southeast Asia, as reflected in the government’s East India Act policy. With an area of more than 328 square kilometers and a population of more than ten lakh, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Because of its location on the banks of the great river Brahmaputra, one of the world’s largest rivers, and its landscape of mountains, hillocks, valleys, and water bodies, it has a unique natural landscape.
The workshop was addressed by the vice president of SITA, Ramen Deka, and he said that humans have destroyed the habitats of wild animals, and it is their responsibility to restore them. had and would be protected.
Due to pollution and encroachment in the city, the Bharalu River has become nothing but polluted water, and the problem of flooding in the city has worsened due to the accumulation of garbage in many wetlands.
“Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Basistha, Bahini, Pamohi, Khanajan, Kalmoni, and Bondajan are some of the famous rivers and streams that drain the landscape of the city. Deepar beel, Borsola, Sarusola, and Silsako are the most important wetlands for act as storm water reservoirs in the city. It is worth noting that several of these water bodies are connected to each other by aquifers which means that they carry and mix water. In the case of some wetlands For one, the corridors are disappearing due to impractical constructions and land development,” said Dr. Partha Jyoti Das, Environmental Scientist and Head of the Water, Climate and Hazards Unit at Aaranyak (WATCH), a pioneer. the workshop.
He went on to say, “The rapid growth and development of cities along with the massive increase in population has significantly changed the landscape of the city, environment, natural resources, demographics, and society in the last 50 years. The unplanned growth of the city, both vertical and horizontal, has put a huge strain on its resources and environment, which has seen widespread encroachment and human encroachment on fragile hills, forest reserves, and degradation of waterways. The growing environmental degradation of the city has led to the slow and steady death of many of the rivers, streams, wetlands, and natural stormwater reservoirs. Urban water bodies face serious threats from pollution, environmental degradation, and physical degradation.”
Prof. PC Bhattacharya, Eminent Psychologist of Assam; Dhruba Prasad Baishya, Union Vice President, SITA; Dr. Shantanu Dutta, member secretary, Assam Pollution Control Board; Prof. Arup Kumar Sarma and Prof. Ajay S. Kalamadhad from IIT Guwahati; MD Adhikary, Sr. Env. Scientist, PCBA; Dr. Bidyut Bikash Sharma, Department of Environmental Science, Gauhati University; Er. PP Changkakati, former secretary, Water Resources, GoA, shared valuable insights, research findings, and possible solutions at the workshop.
Members of the Guwahati district administration, non-governmental organizations and citizens also participated in the workshop.
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