HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 9: A ‘District Level Stakeholder Consultation on Integrated Management’ of the Doloni Beel was held recently in the conference hall of the district commissioner’s office in Bongaigaon district.
The meeting was jointly convened by the Bongaigaon district administration and Aaranyak. Bongaigaon district commissioner Nabadeep Pathak chaired the meeting, with additional district commissioner Apurba Nath serving as co-chair.
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The purpose of the consultation meeting was to sensitise stakeholders about the salient findings of the assessment that Aaranyak has conducted on the Doloni Beel and share the major recommendations for the integrated wetland management plan (IWMP) that is under preparation.
Aaranyak, a reputed research-driven biodiversity conservation organisation of the country, has been carrying out a holistic assessment of the Doloni Beel, a unique and socio-ecologically important wetland of western Assam. This assessment covers the physical and environmental aspects of the wetland and its catchment, as well as the socio-economic and livelihood conditions of the stakeholder communities. An integrated wetland management plan is also being prepared for the wetland, situated in the Boitamari Community Development Block of the Bongaigaon district, approximately 22 km southwest from Abhayapuri, the nearest township.
The project has been implemented for the last year under the NERAQ (Protection and Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in the North-Eastern Himalayan Region of India) program, which is an alliance between GIZ and the state Forest Department. Usha Dewani Das, communication advisor, NERAQ, GIZ-India, was also present at the meeting.
The meeting was attended by a total of 54 participants, mainly comprising government officials from relevant line departments, representatives of communities from 10 villages located around the Doloni Beel, and a few local educationists from various colleges of Bongaigaon.
Government departments and agencies present included the Forest Department, Water Resource Department, Agriculture Department, Veterinary Department, Social Welfare Department, Handloom and Textile Department, Tourism Department, NABARD, AFDC (Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd.), ASRLM (Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission), Revenue Department, Pollution Control Board, DIPRO (District Information & Public Relations Office), and the Soil Conservation Department.
Other important stakeholders who participated were Gram Panchayat members, Mahila Morcha, academicians, researchers, as well as stakeholders from the community.
The consultation ended with a vote of thanks given by Apurba Kr Nath, additional district commissioner of Bongaigaon district.
