Table of Contents

APSC Answer Writing (Daily) based on Assam Tribune – 18/10/2025

For APSC CCE and other Assam Competitive examinations aspirants, practicing Daily Answer Writing is vital. This blog covers the most important Main question and its model Answer from the Assam Tribune today (18-10-2025).

🧾 Question:

“Deepor Beel Restoration and Urban Water Security in Guwahati: Examine the ecological and governance challenges involved, and suggest a sustainable framework for wetland management in Assam.”
📘 GS Paper 3: Environment, Conservation, Disaster Management & Urban Governance

🔹 Introduction

Deepor Beel, a Ramsar-listed freshwater wetland in the southwest of Guwahati, is one of the last natural water retention basins in the Brahmaputra Valley. It plays a crucial role in flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity conservation. However, unchecked urbanization, waste dumping, and encroachments have severely degraded its ecosystem — threatening both the ecological balance and the city’s water security.

🔹 Key Ecological & Governance Challenges

Challenge	Explanation / Impact
🏗️ Encroachment & Land Conversion	Rapid expansion of settlements, rail lines, and commercial complexes has shrunk wetland area from ~40 sq. km (1980s) to <10 sq. km now.
🚮 Solid Waste Pollution	Boragaon landfill leachate flows into the Beel, causing eutrophication and fish mortality.
🚧 Hydrological Fragmentation	Railway embankments and road projects disrupted natural inflows from Basistha–Bahini–Bharalu channels.
🦩 Loss of Biodiversity	Habitat loss threatens migratory bird species — over 200 recorded earlier, now declining annually.
⚖️ Weak Enforcement & Overlapping Jurisdiction	Assam Forest Dept., GMDA, GMC, and MoEFCC share overlapping authority; coordination gaps hinder restoration.

🔹 Significance of Deepor Beel for Guwahati’s Water & Climate Resilience

Urban Flood Buffer: Acts as a natural sponge, mitigating flash floods in monsoon seasons.
Groundwater Recharge: Maintains subsurface water levels critical for city borewell supply.
Climate Regulation: Absorbs carbon and moderates microclimate of Guwahati basin.
Livelihood Source: Supports fishing and wetland-based agriculture for nearby villages.

🔹 Recent Initiatives

Initiative	Implementing Agency / Feature
🟢 Deepor Beel Restoration Drive (2025)	Led by Assam Forest Dept. & MoEFCC under NPCA (National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems).
🟢 Guwahati Water Security Plan	Integrates Deepor Beel as an “urban retention pond” for stormwater under Smart City Mission.
🟢 Solid Waste Relocation Order	NGT & Assam HC directed GMC to shift Boragaon dumpyard to Chandrapur by 2026.
🟢 Community Eco-restoration Drive	Wetland Management Committees formed in Azara–Jalukbari area for joint monitoring.

🔹 Way Forward: A Sustainable Framework for Wetland Management

🗺️ Integrated Wetland Zonation:
- Demarcate Core Conservation, Buffer, and Regulated Use Zones under Wetlands (Conservation & Management) Rules, 2017.
- Employ satellite-based GIS mapping for real-time encroachment tracking.
♻️ Waste Management Reforms:
- Complete relocation of Boragaon dumpyard; set up decentralized bio-CNG and waste-to-compost plants.
🌿 Ecohydrological Restoration:
- Reconnect feeder channels (Basistha–Bharalu–Kalmani).
- Use phytoremediation and constructed wetlands for water quality improvement.
👥 Community and Institutional Coordination:
- Empower Local Wetland Committees (LWCs) under Assam State Wetland Authority.
- Integrate with Jal Shakti Abhiyan & Atal Bhujal Yojana for water security.
💡 Urban Planning Integration:
- Make Deepor Beel part of Guwahati Master Plan (2035) as an “Urban Ecological Zone”.
- Promote eco-tourism with strict environmental safeguards.

🔹 Relevant Examples & Data

UNESCO’s Urban Wetland Framework (2023): Recommends hybrid green–grey drainage infrastructure — replicable for Guwahati.
NPCA Funding (MoEFCC, 2024–25): ₹26 crore allocated for Deepor Beel restoration.
Urban Flood Damage: Guwahati faced ₹350 crore losses in 2022–23 due to drainage failure, highlighting wetland’s role.

🔹 Conclusion

Deepor Beel is more than a wetland — it is Guwahati’s ecological lifeline. Protecting it demands a convergence of environmental science, community participation, and urban governance. By making wetland restoration central to Assam’s climate and water security strategy, the state can pioneer a model of “blue-green urbanism” for the entire Northeast.

🧭 Value Addition for Mains Answer

Quote: “Wetlands are the kidneys of our landscape.” — Mitsch & Gosselink
Report Reference: National Wetland Atlas (ISRO, 2023) and Assam State Action Plan on Climate Change (Revised 2022).

Schemes Mentioned: NPCA, Smart Cities Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, Atal Bhujal Yojana.

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