GUWAHATI: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has held encroachment along the Deepor Beel wetland, the Pamohi-Garchuk road, and the railway tracks equally responsible for hindering animal movement in the Deepor Beel area of Guwahati.
The WII conducted an on-field survey of the area at the request of the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway. The WII in its report submitted in December 2021, alongside giving recommendations on mitigation measures also made observations on the massive encroachment and the barriers posed by the Pamohi-Garchuk road on animal movement in the area.
As stated in the report, the Forest Department (Deepor Beel Wildlife Range) has thus identified 6 movement corridors that are regularly used by elephants to access the water body.
The report read, "Even in the absence of train-induced mortality, railway tracks impose a barrier for animal movement, and wider physical track infrastructure and increased train traffic have the potential to impede this movement further. This ultimately fragments habitat and cuts off access to resources such as water”.
Suggesting several mitigation measures for the Railways, the report added, “The Maghuwapara Road (Pamohi-Garchuk Road) running almost parallel to the railway line and crossing the line at two places also poses a barrier to animal movement, especially elephants. Hence, there is also a possibility of enhancement of human-elephant conflict in the given scenario”.
“The mitigation measures on the proposed double railway track are only going to be effective if the adjoining roads are also mitigated.”
“There are a lot of encroachments along the Deepor Beel area. An increase in encroachments will not only result in enhanced human-elephant interaction but will also reduce the water-catchment area of the Beel. It is recommended to remove all the encroachments along the forest edge and the railway track to enhance the use of the Beel by elephants, especially along the identified elephant movement corridors,” the WII recommended.
The report of the survey was attained through an RTI filed by activist Rohit Choudhury.