Locals oppose Assam govt land transfer move threatening Dorabeel and river dolphins

Guwahati, May 11: The people of Palashhari revenue circle of Kamrup district have pledged to thwart the State government's move to hand over 150 bighas of village grazing reserve (VGR) land adjacent to the Dorabeel wetland to a private entity at any cost, announced the Dorabeel Grazing Field Protection Convening Committee here recently.

Addressing the media, the committee alleged that along with endangering the lives and livelihoods of the local people, the proposed move is also a serious threat to the biodiversity-rich Dorabeel wetland and the endangered Gangetic river dolphin and its breeding ground in the Kulsi river.

The grazing land and the wetland are home to more than 200 species of local and migratory birds, 10 mammal species including the river dolphin, foxes, wild boars, porcupines, etc., 23 reptile species including turtles, lizards, snakes, etc., 68 butter fly species and various insects, frogs and mollusc. The wetland is also a habitat of 74 species of fish, 26 species of ornamental plants, seven edible or medicinal plants, six plants used as fertiliser and three plants used for household goods.

The proposed move by the State government came to the fore after the Kamrup district administration issued a public notice citing that the government has decided to denotify 150 bighas of the reserve land, where M/S New Kolkata International Development Pvt Ltd will set up a logistic park under the Assam Industrial Development Corporation Limited.

The land is located in Rampur No. 1 and Rampur No. 2 villages, which come under the Rampur monza of Palash bari revenue circle. Through the notice issued on April 7, the District Commissioner of Kamrup urged the public to submit their objections in this connection.

Addressing the media, Dipankar Thakuria, convener of the committee, stated that more than 60 organizations and persons have already submitted their objections against the move before the district administration, as it will not only impact the bio-diversity of the region but also the livelihoods of over 3,000 families residing in the nearby villages.

"The grazing land is one of the parts of the wetland. During monsoon, the grazing land merges with Dorabeel wetland, which is very crucial for fish production in the area and a source of livelihood for around 2,000 families of some 10 nearby villages," Thakuria said.

He further informed that more than 3,000 families directly depend on this grazing land for livestock rearing. Similarly, around 500 families from 12 villages rely on the soil of this land for pottery work. The proposed move will also affect around 1,000 families who are engaged in agricultural activities in nearby areas, Thakuria stated.

He further informed that reducing the area of the grazing land will also result in flooding in nearby areas in future, along with depletion of the groundwater level.

Ashwini Mazumdar, chief convener of the committee, added, "Already most of the agricultural lands of Rampur have been occupied by different industries. Now, the pro-posed move of the State government will affect the bio-diversity-rich Dorabeel and the grazing land. The existing industries have already polluted the soil, water and air of our locality. The construction of the logistic park will exacerbate environmental degradation."

Mazumdar noted that for centuries, the grazing land has been used to organize the Suwari festival, Magh Bihu and other events related to folk culture. So, the acquisition of the land will endanger the identity and existence of the local communities, too.