Chapter 2. Overview of Deepor Beel: Literature study and analysis
2.2 Mapping and Evaluation of Existing Built Environment in the Fringe Area
Until the recent past (1989) Deepor Beel was owned by the Fishery Department of the Government of Assam. Now District Administration is looking after it. The surroundings are part of a private property, except for the Rani-Garbhanga Reserve Forest, which is state-owned. The Deepor Beel is surrounded by 14 villages with a total of 4137 families. They are grouped here as fisherman communities, tribal communities and the new settlers according to their locations (Figure 2.3). Details of population distribution and demographic analysis is covered in chapter 6.1 (Page 76-83).
Villages dominated by the fisherman communities are Ganakpara, Dharapur chariali, Azara and Kewtpara along NH-37 in the West. They conduct community fishing once a year and share the revenue among them, managed by the Deepor BeelPanch Para SamabaySamiti. The Assam Engineering College campus is situated in the North West. Padumbari, Nursery, Tetelia, Pachim Baragaon, Pub Baragaon and Garchuk along NH-37 in the North (Figure2.3). In the South, from Garchuk on NH-37 a PWD road connects Pamohi to Rani Junction near Dharapur chariali. The villages include Pamohi, Maghuapara, Mainakhurung, Deochotal, Kalitapara, Chatargaon (otherside of the hill), Chakordoi Mikirpara, Matiagaon. They come under the Jalukbari Mauza (source: field survey). Diverse communities living in these villages are Koch, Kalita, Karbi, Boro, Nepali, Rabha, Bengali Muslim and Assamese Muslim. There are plenty of Manasa (Snake Goddess) and Shiva (Hindu God) temples in the fringe villages.
Figure 2.3: Land Use Land Cover map (NESAC, 2012)
2.2.1 Infrastructure and facilities
It was observed during pilot survey that in almost all villages, tube wells and dug wells are used for drinking water purposes. These tube wells are constructed for each households within their own compound/ premises. All the residents of Paschim Boragaon and Garchuk agreed that the water contains high concentration of iron. There is a middle level school but no primary health center in any of the villages. Therefore, for medical treatment and higher education, they have to depend on nearest towns like Jalukbari, Maligaon and Ajara. The overall housing condition has been found to be unsatisfactory. Besides having a large number of mud (Kuchha) houses, the living space for a sizeable section of the households has also been found to be insufficient. Electricity is available for all uses including domestic and commercial purposes in most of villages situated along NH-37. Facilities like electricity and mobile telephone services are available in the villages along Pamohi road too. More than half of the people interviewed feel that reclaiming the lands for construction activities are creating dust nuisance in the area.
Almost all people feel that trucks carrying stones are causing dust and noise pollution.
60.5% agreed that various health problems are caused due to carbon emission from the nearby industries and from the stone quarries/crushing unit of Paschim Boragaon and along the stretch of Rani-Garbhanga Reserve. It is also found that 100% residents of all the villages feel there are no special problems during monsoon. The area is flooded due to the water streaming out from the nearby hills. But this recedes quickly towards the wetland. The roads also remain well above the flood level during monsoon. They all agreed that the visual amenity of natural aesthetics in the area has decreased due to sporadic developments. The Beel is surrounded by the National Highway NH37 on the east and north-east (Figure2.3). The PWD road is skirting the northern fringe of the Rani and Garbhanga Reserve Forest on the south, the Dharapur-Kahikuchi section of the NH37 on the west and the Engineering College Road on the north. Besides, a few other minor roads and tracts also exist in the vicinity of the Beel. The newly established Mother Teresa Hospital is also situated in the north western border of the Deepor Beel. The recent developments include Pamohi as a part of boundary adjustment under special scheme area of master plan Phase-1, along with the addition of three new towns and a metro line proposed through the southern corridor of the wetland, leading to the airport from the city.
Before the construction work for the BG lines, there was no railway line in the vicinity of the Beel except the Rangia–Guwahati BG lines that touches part of the Borhola Beel on the north-east of the Deepor Beel and originally forming a part of it. A number of temporary farmhouses have been constructed in recent years all around the Deepor Beel. Besides, several settlements and industrial units, including the Border Security Forces housing complex and the Artfed industrial complex have come up in the swampy area of the Beel. A number of brick kilns was operating within the Beel area itself, but closed down now. The villages situated along NH37, like Pub and Paschim Boragaon, and Garchuk have bus stops located along the highway, near to the villages. However, for other villages, i.e. Pamohi, Deosotal, Chakordoi Mikirpara, and Maghuwapara, although connected by Pamohi road from Garchug to Rani Chowk to NH37, there is no bus services available (Ramsar info sheet).
There is an integrated municipal solid waste management project at Boragaon, about 1.5 kms away from Deepor Beel and 1 km away from NH37. Stone quarries are seen along the Rani- Garbhanga Reserve Forest along the south side of the Beel. Many upcoming industries and a medicinal plant nursery are part of the new construction in this belt. The human habitat around the Beel, especially villages along Pamohi road, need better healthcare, employment and education facilities.
2.2.2 Livelihood Activities
Communities living near Deepor Beel have numerous economic benefits from the wetland, which provides for food and agriculture, trade, transport from historical time. The village heads (sarpanch) of Keotpara (fishing) and Mikirpara Chakardeo (tribal) informed that few decades ago the wetland was the primary source of income, mainly for fishing, boating for water transport, collecting and selling of animal fodder (sometime with barter system of exchanging with paddy or vegetables) or cultivating rice (Sali and Bao) in the low lying areas near the Beel. The pilot survey (interviews, site visits) revealed that very few people are salaried and employed, especially in the interior villages. The majority of the male population are engaged in petty businesses like running roadside hotels, repair shops, telephone booths and other mercantile business activities along the highway and working as daily wage laborers.
Females are mainly engaged in household chores. Agriculture as an occupation is fading away due to the lucrative jobs in factories and industries and rapid urbanization. The locals
traditionally utilize the Beel to harvest fish and mollusks and to collect fodder for domestic cattle, natural foods, such as vegetables, flowers, aquatic seeds, etc. In recent times, most of the agricultural lands are sold for construction and development. Present economic activities are a mix of agriculture, fishing, services and small businesses.
Fishing: Assam is one of the richest states in the country in terms of surface water resources, where Beel fisheries and pond and tank fisheries alone occupies about 140,000 hectares area. Yet at present, scientific fish farming/fishing is carried out in only 5 percent of the total water resource area (391,000 lakh hectare) (Department of fisheries, Assam, 2014). Deepor Beel was a Government Fishery Mahal till Jan 12, 1989 before it was declared as Wildlife Sanctuary and since then officially fishing is strictly prohibited.
Fish is a popular food in Assam. Besides being a source of food, fish is used in health- care practices among the Karbis. Poverty and limited access to modern medicine are the main factors for their dependence on traditional medicine, particularly in rural areas. In every village, fishing along with hunting and weaving are part of household chores by the women folk. Fish is also used in many rituals. There are few villages around this Beel that are entirely dependent on the Beel for their livelihood (the Kaibortas).
Pottery: Pottery making in Assam has always been a subsidiary occupation of agrarian communities. In hilly areas, earthenware has utilitarian value, but in the plains they are used both for utility and rituals. Three communities of Assam, namely Kumar, Hira and Hari are engaged in pottery making. Hira and Haris are known as one community for their commonalities. The Kumars are highly skilled, make pottery on wheels and are privileged to make pottery for temples. Hiras and Haris make pottery by hands (K.Medhi, 2003). The Hira potters of Barpeta and Sundaridia collect clay from Marnoi in Goalpara and Tetelia near Deepar Beel, Guwahati.
The clay provided by the wetlands was transported earlier by boats via Brahmaputra River and now by trucks. Those potters gather clay during dry periods in winter and store them in pits. The stored clay is used for pottery making throughout the year. The Kumars of Rajapukhuri near Rampur and Tetelia and the Hira of Hirapara near Azara area obtain clay for pottery from their farm fields (K.Medhi, 2003).
Agriculture: The economy of these ethnic groups was basically agriculture surrounding the wetland and near the foothills of the Garbhange forest. The methods and quality of their
agriculture, differs spatially in between hills and plains depending on the nature of topography and the level of development of the society. Earlier, they cultivated two types of paddy, namely Sali and Bao, in the low lying areas near the beel. They also grew different seasonal vegetables, and mustard. The survey also revealed that agriculture as an occupation is fading away due to lucrative jobs in factories and industries and due to rapid urbanization. In an interview, the sarpanch mentioned that there are approximately 10000-15000 bigha land (1 bigha= 1,340 m²) in the three villages namely Pamohi, Chakardeo and Deosotal, but agricultural activities like, rice cultivation are now carried out in a low scale.
Preparing Rice Beer: The Bodo, Karbi, Ahom and Rabha tribes near Deepor Beel prepare traditional rice beer or liquor as an integral part of their socio-cultural life. Each type of such beer is a mixture of rice and different parts of various plant species, that have medicinal value (Biman Bhuyan, 2013).
Livestock rearing and Weaving: This is a subsidiary household occupation of all these communities. They weave their ethnic dresses and keep cattle, pigs and chicken for personal use.
2.2.3 Cultural dynamics
The ‘Deepor Beel’s Stakeholders Report’ by North Dakota State University mentioned that no work has been done so far to conserve the cultural values of the tribal people living near the wetland (southern boundary). The cultural aspects and diversified livelihood of the villagers should be addressed prior to any intervention, to sustain communal harmony (NDSU case studies, 2007).
Religion and Language: Hindu communities living near Deepor Beel practice traditional religion, along with rituals and idol worshiping (Shiva) of Hinduism, which is animistic in nature. Many of them worship ‘Manasa’, the serpant goddess, mainly for the prevention and cure of snakebites and infectious diseases like smallpox and chicken pox as well as for prosperity and fertility. She stands for both 'destruction' and 'regeneration', almost akin to a snake shedding its skin and being reborn. Manasa is also a very important fertility deity, especially among the lower castes, and her blessings are invoked during marriage or for childlessness. Her shrine may be found in the courtyard of many household. Manasa or Maroi puja is also held in Kamakhya temple in Debaddhani Festival once a year.
Nature Worship and ‘Naturalism’ are the basic concept of tribal culture, belief and practices, which reveals that they have a legacy of natural harmony or so-called preservation of eco-system or ecological balance within its surroundings. Every object of the nature like pond or lake, river or streams, trees or jungle, mountain etc. is considered sacred and worshipped. The tribal communities living in the fringe villages have their own tradition, religion and practices.
For example, Bodos practice Bathhouism along with Hinduism and Christianity. Traditional religion of Karbis believes in immortality of souls and rebirth and honoring the ancestors (Valentina Teronpi, Ethnozoology of the Karbis of Assam,India: Use of ichthyofauna in traditional, 2012). Rabhas mainly pray to nature gods, though their main god is ‘Rishivai’, lord Shiva (Raha, 1989). The four main Hindu castes are Brahmin, Kayastha, Kalita and Ahom. There are many more sub-castes and tribes that are Assamese speaking and follow Hinduism (Thomson, 1948).
Language spoken by these communities is a perfect example of unity in diversity. The principal languages of Assam are ‘Assamese' (with many dialects) and ‘Bodo'. Bodo is known to be a branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of language, other than that there is no record indicating the origin of Bodo language. It is closely related to the Dimasa language. There are many tribal languages, some with scripts and some without. They are mostly non-Aryan tribal languages of Indo-Burman families (Kakati, 1941).
Festivals and ceremonies: The festivals or ceremonies can be classified into seasonal and religious. Among the seasonal festivals, all communities follow the three Assamese Bihu festivals linked to agriculture, Bohag or RongaliBihu, Kati or KongaliBihu, Maagh or BhogaliBihu, but in their own traditional way. The Bodos celebrate ‘Bwisagw’, ‘Khathi-gasa’
and ‘Domasi’ as the three Bihu festivals, at the same time and with the same significance (IITG, 2013). Amongst the Koch tribes, the noted festivals were associated with the worship of their traditional deities. These included Mechinikhela puja, Dharam Thakur puja, Humumdeo puja, Gorakhnath puja, Kherai puja etc. They also celebrate all three Bihu connected with agriculture (Nath, 1989).