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Deepor Beel
| Site Name | Deepor Beel |
|---|---|
| State | Assam |
| Ramsar Site Number | 1207 |
| Ramsar Designation Date | 19 Aug 2002 |
| Area | 4000 hectares |
| Latitude | 26.1333 |
| Longitude | 91.65 |
| Categories | Inland wetland Permanent freshwater lake |
| Elevation min / max | 53 / 53 |
| Listed in Montreux Record? | No |
| Spans over more than one country? | No |
| Details | |
| A permanent freshwater lake in a former channel of the Brahmaputra river, of great biological importance and also essential as the only major storm water storage basin for the city of Guwahati. The beel is a staging site on migratory flyways and some of the largest concentrations of aquatic birds in Assam can be seen, especially in winter. Some globally threatened birds are supported, including Spotbilled Pelican (Pelicanus philippensis), Lesser and Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus and dubius), and Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri). The 50 fish species present provide livelihoods for a number of surrounding villages, and nymphaea nuts and flowers, as well as ornamental fish, medicinal plants, and seeds of the Giant water lily Euryale ferox provide major revenue sources in local markets; orchids of commercial value are found in the neighboring forest. Potential threats include over-fishing and hunting pressure upon waterbirds, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, and infestation by water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes. | |
| Threats | |
| Biological resource use, Fishing and harvesting aquatic resources, Logging and wood harvesting, Hunting and collecting terrestrial animals, Invasive and other problematic species and genes, Problematic native species, Pollution, Agricultural and forestry effluents, Household sewage, urban waste water, Natural system modifications, Unspecified/others, Vegetation clearance/ land conversion, Human settlements (non agricultural), Housing and urban areas, Commercial and industrial areas, Agriculture | |
