Assam proposed Centre for repositioning of railway track through Deepor Beel
The Assam government has proposed the repositioning of a broad gauge railway line throughout the Deepor Beel, located about 10 km south-west of Guwahati city
Trains have run over several elephants on the railway track between the Rani Reserve Forest and Deepor Beel. At least 14 elephants were killed while crossing the railway track till 2014.
Four corridors are being used by the elephants to cross the track for bathing and feeding on the aquatic plants in the wetland.
At a meeting which was held to discuss the matter of beautification of the wetland, State Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya on Thursday said, “We have sent a proposal to the Centre for the realignment of the railway line running through the wetland, which creates noise pollution and disturbs the migratory birds. Clearance from the National Green Tribunal [NGT] is expected once the eco-sensitive zone is declared by the authorities concerned.”
Ashok Singhal, Guwahati Development Department Minister held the meeting at Janata Bhavan along with Environment and Forest Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya and with PCCF, Wildlife, Amit Sahai, DFO, Wildlife, Guwahati and other officials of several departments. The objective of the meeting was to seek steps to check the pollution of the wetland due to the location of a dumping site nearby and channels or streams that bear rainwater and unprocessed manure from the city.
Deepor Beel is a perpetual freshwater lake known for its organic and environmental significance. The wetland is also a bird sanctuary covering an area of 414 hectares, sheltering more than 200 species of birds, about 70 of them migratory birds
The Northeast Frontier Railway had faced conflicts when the project was taken up more than two decades ago.
A double-track railway have been sanctioned through the beel and in 2019, people and green activists had raised voices against the move of the State government and Northeast Frontier Railway.
The locals said, “Our people have been saving the elephants since January 2014. From then, not a single casualty has been reported. That is our commitment to conserve our ecology. At any cost, be it our own lives. We have been trying to stop doubling of railway track passing through Deepor Beel and Rani Reserve Forest.”
The toil on doubling the track was making progress except for a 16km stretch through Deepor Beel since the final decision on the realignment had been waiting.
