296
Salvinia, Eleocharis, Echinochloa, Scirpus,
Cyperus, Euryale, etc.
There is a rich diversity of fi shes in the wetlands of Assam. Some of the widely abundant
fi sh genera are Puntius, Amblypharyngodon,
Botia, Lepidocephalichthys, Mystus, Channa,
Xenentodon, Chanda, Parambassis, Anabas,
Trichogaster, etc. (Kar 2007a , b ).
As an example, Sone Beel alone has 70 species of fi shes (Kar 2007b ).
Distribution of wetlands district-wise, sizewise and areawise has been presented in
Tables 20.3 , 20.4 and 20.5 .
20.2.4 Some Major Regional Wetlands
of Assam
The province of Assam is gifted with a large
number of diverse types of wetlands. Some of the
studied wetlands are described below.
20.2.4.1 Wetlands in Barak Valley
Region of Assam
There are a large number of different types of
wetlands in the Barak valley region of Assam.
Sone Beel, the largest Beel in Assam, is situated in Barak valley region. An account of some
of the wetlands in Barak valley region is given
below.
Sone Beel Wetland
Geography
Sone Beel (Plate 20.1 , Fig. 20.1 ) is situated at an
altitude of 23 m MSL, between 92° 24′ 50″ and
92° 28′ 25″ E and 24° 36′ 40″ and 24° 44′ 30″ N
within Karimganj District of Assam and falls in a
valley geologically called syncline.
The physiography of the district consists of
small hillocks intervened by wide low valleys.
The hillocks have NE-SW and NE-SSW trend
near the Barail Range and N-S trend towards
south away from the Barail Range. Notably, Sone
Table 20.3 District -wise distribution of wetlands in Assam
District
Number
Area (ha)
Barpeta
97
3,301.00
Bongaigaon
100
3,158.50
Cachar
340
7,188.00
Darrang
103
3,515.00
Dhemaji
139
3,960.00
Dhubri
233
6,459.70
Dibrugarh
86
2,752.50
Goalpara
165
3,832.50
Golaghat
330
5,467.50
Hailakandi
47
840.00
Jorhat
131
2,108.50
Kamrup
352
11,407.00
Karbi Anglong
77
897.00
Karimganj
70
5,719.50
Kokrajhar
85
1,578.40
North Lakhimpur
153
3,033.50
Morigaon
183
11,658.00
Nagaon
379
11,295.50
N.C. Hills
10
2,552.50
Nalbari
68
1,988.00
Sibsagar
109
2,135.00
Sonitpur
206
3,651.00
Tinsukia
74
2,732.50
Total
3,513
101,231.60
Source: Assam Remote Sensing Application Centre, Assam
Table 20.4 Sizewise distribution of wetlands in Assam
Area class
(Ha)
Total
number
Total water
spread area (ha)
Total vegetation
area (ha)
1.0–100.0
3,341
52,878.1
1,920.5
100.1–200.0
100
12,921.5
947.5
200.1–300.0
36
7,979.5
537.0
300.1–400.0
14
4,505.0
328.0
400.1–500.0
4
1,815.0
0.0
500.1–600.0
6
2,625.0
602.5
>600.1
12
13,068.0
70.0
Total
3,513
96,818.10
4,405.5
Source: Assam Remote Sensing Application Centre, Assam
Table 20.5 A list of some of the wetlands along with
their area
Name of the Beel
District
Area (ha)
1. Sone Beel
Karimganj
3,458.12
2. Tamranga
Goalpara
57
3. Dhir
Dhubri
689
4. Dipor
Kamrup
4,000
5. Sareswar
Dhubri
1,700
6. Dighali
Kamrup
250
7. Dora
Kamrup
463
8. Chandubi
Kamrup
311
9. Salsala
Kamrup
21
20 Wetlands of India
Salvinia, Eleocharis, Echinochloa, Scirpus,
Cyperus, Euryale, etc.
There is a rich diversity of fi shes in the wetlands of Assam. Some of the widely abundant
fi sh genera are Puntius, Amblypharyngodon,
Botia, Lepidocephalichthys, Mystus, Channa,
Xenentodon, Chanda, Parambassis, Anabas,
Trichogaster, etc. (Kar 2007a , b ).
As an example, Sone Beel alone has 70 species of fi shes (Kar 2007b ).
Distribution of wetlands district-wise, sizewise and areawise has been presented in
Tables 20.3 , 20.4 and 20.5 .
20.2.4 Some Major Regional Wetlands
of Assam
The province of Assam is gifted with a large
number of diverse types of wetlands. Some of the
studied wetlands are described below.
20.2.4.1 Wetlands in Barak Valley
Region of Assam
There are a large number of different types of
wetlands in the Barak valley region of Assam.
Sone Beel, the largest Beel in Assam, is situated in Barak valley region. An account of some
of the wetlands in Barak valley region is given
below.
Sone Beel Wetland
Geography
Sone Beel (Plate 20.1 , Fig. 20.1 ) is situated at an
altitude of 23 m MSL, between 92° 24′ 50″ and
92° 28′ 25″ E and 24° 36′ 40″ and 24° 44′ 30″ N
within Karimganj District of Assam and falls in a
valley geologically called syncline.
The physiography of the district consists of
small hillocks intervened by wide low valleys.
The hillocks have NE-SW and NE-SSW trend
near the Barail Range and N-S trend towards
south away from the Barail Range. Notably, Sone
Table 20.3 District -wise distribution of wetlands in Assam
District
Number
Area (ha)
Barpeta
97
3,301.00
Bongaigaon
100
3,158.50
Cachar
340
7,188.00
Darrang
103
3,515.00
Dhemaji
139
3,960.00
Dhubri
233
6,459.70
Dibrugarh
86
2,752.50
Goalpara
165
3,832.50
Golaghat
330
5,467.50
Hailakandi
47
840.00
Jorhat
131
2,108.50
Kamrup
352
11,407.00
Karbi Anglong
77
897.00
Karimganj
70
5,719.50
Kokrajhar
85
1,578.40
North Lakhimpur
153
3,033.50
Morigaon
183
11,658.00
Nagaon
379
11,295.50
N.C. Hills
10
2,552.50
Nalbari
68
1,988.00
Sibsagar
109
2,135.00
Sonitpur
206
3,651.00
Tinsukia
74
2,732.50
Total
3,513
101,231.60
Source: Assam Remote Sensing Application Centre, Assam
Table 20.4 Sizewise distribution of wetlands in Assam
Area class
(Ha)
Total
number
Total water
spread area (ha)
Total vegetation
area (ha)
1.0–100.0
3,341
52,878.1
1,920.5
100.1–200.0
100
12,921.5
947.5
200.1–300.0
36
7,979.5
537.0
300.1–400.0
14
4,505.0
328.0
400.1–500.0
4
1,815.0
0.0
500.1–600.0
6
2,625.0
602.5
>600.1
12
13,068.0
70.0
Total
3,513
96,818.10
4,405.5
Source: Assam Remote Sensing Application Centre, Assam
Table 20.5 A list of some of the wetlands along with
their area
Name of the Beel
District
Area (ha)
1. Sone Beel
Karimganj
3,458.12
2. Tamranga
Goalpara
57
3. Dhir
Dhubri
689
4. Dipor
Kamrup
4,000
5. Sareswar
Dhubri
1,700
6. Dighali
Kamrup
250
7. Dora
Kamrup
463
8. Chandubi
Kamrup
311
9. Salsala
Kamrup
21
20 Wetlands of India