303
and 1.81 %, respectively. The bottom-dwelling
murrels, which usually contribute signifi cantly
to the total fi sh yield of the lake, contain species
like Channa gachua, C. punctatus and C. striata
with average ARY of 0.27, 7.0 and 0.24 %,
respectively. Channa marulius is generally a rare
species in Sone Beel with an average ARY of
only 0.015 %.
Twenty six varieties of fi shing gears have been
recorded in Sone Beel. The fi sh catching devices
have been dealt with in detail in Chap. 27 of this
treatise. However, the Maha jal , Dal jal and Chat
jal were the monsoon varieties, while the hooks
and lines, the cages and large-meshed cast net
were operated chiefl y during the winter. The gill
net and the triangular scooping net do not seem to
have any seasonality. The CPGH (catch/person/
gear/hour) (Dey 1981 ; Kar 2007a , b ) of Maha jal
was the highest (1.28–1.69 kg) followed by
Chinese dip net (0.53–0.93 kg), long line (0.52–
0.68 kg), cage (0.21–0.56 kg) and gill net
(0.14–0.21 kg).
On the basis of the research fi ndings of the
present author, Sone Beel was declared as a ‘ wetland of national importance ’ by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of India
on 16 October 2008 (vide Resolution No. 11 dt.
16.10.2008, of MOEF Expert Group Meeting
and, also, Letter No. FRM 41/2008/63-A dt.
8.9.2008 from Commissioner and Secretary to
the Govt. of Assam, Department of Forests).
Chatla Haor
Geography
Chatla Haor (Plate 20.2 , Fig. 20.2 ) is situated
between 92° 46′ 11.8″ N and 24° 42′ 38″ E in the
Cachar District of Assam. It was said to be a
‘Beel’ (perennial wetland) some decades ago
having its water spread area reaching Silchar
town. Due to gradual siltation and eutrophication
occurring naturally in the successional process,
accelerated by man-made interference, today it
has become a ‘Haor’ (seasonal wetland) and
retains water for approximately 6 months in a
year having practically no dead storage level
(DSL). So it is almost completely dry during the
winter. Having a water spread area of c 1,600 ha
(approx.) at the full storage level (FSL), Chatla is
considered to be one of the biggest ‘Haor’ in
Assam (Kar and Barbhuiya 2000 ).
Around Chatla, the soil in the catchment is
generally sandy loam, but shore vegetation is
thin. The Haor is drained by a number of small
inlets (namely, Jalengachhara, Baluchhara,
Salganga) and an outlet (namely, River Ghaghara)
which drains itself into the River Barak. The
catchment of the Haor includes a small portion of
the Inner Line Reserve Forest (IRF). During
monsoon, the Chatla, like other similar wetlands,
receives some humic as well as inorganic and
organic nutrients from the hillocks and
surrounding cultivable lands.
Silchar City is situated c 15 km away from the
east of the wetland. Hailakandi town is situated c
35 km away from the western shore of the Haor.
The Block HQ at Barajalenga is situated c 5 km
away from the southern end of the wetland.
The maximum length ( L ), breadth ( B ), depth
( D ) and water spread area ( A ) of the wetland at
FSL have been measured to be 10 km, 2.5 km,
5.5 m and 1,600 ha, respectively. Prominent Silt
Islands (SI), namely, Bairagitila and Harintila,
have been found to occur towards the eastern
shore of the Haor. Other small SIs, namely,
Haltia, Diblia and Barshangan, occur towards the
SW side of the Haor.
Amongst the inlets, River Salgonga originates
from the foot hills of the Mizo Hill range, while
the Jalengachhara and Baluchhara, which are
mostly rheophilic in nature, fl ow down into the
Haor from the Inner Line RF. The only major
outlet, River Ghaghara, drains the water of the
Haor directly into River Barak traversing a tortuous course of c 14 km from the northern boundary of the Haor.
Phytoplankton
Studies revealed the occurrence of the following
genera/species of phytoplankton in Chatla Haor:
Nostoc, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Spirogyra,
Ankistrodesmus, Closterium, Euglena, Phacus,
Ceratium, Cosmarium, Volvox, Pinnularia,
Navicula, Diatoma, Gyrosigma, Diatoma, etc.
Oscillatoria sp. occasionally blooms during
spring. Euglena and Ceratium occasionally show
luxuriant population during rainy season.
20.2 Wetlands of Northeast India (The Water Wealth of Northeast India)
and 1.81 %, respectively. The bottom-dwelling
murrels, which usually contribute signifi cantly
to the total fi sh yield of the lake, contain species
like Channa gachua, C. punctatus and C. striata
with average ARY of 0.27, 7.0 and 0.24 %,
respectively. Channa marulius is generally a rare
species in Sone Beel with an average ARY of
only 0.015 %.
Twenty six varieties of fi shing gears have been
recorded in Sone Beel. The fi sh catching devices
have been dealt with in detail in Chap. 27 of this
treatise. However, the Maha jal , Dal jal and Chat
jal were the monsoon varieties, while the hooks
and lines, the cages and large-meshed cast net
were operated chiefl y during the winter. The gill
net and the triangular scooping net do not seem to
have any seasonality. The CPGH (catch/person/
gear/hour) (Dey 1981 ; Kar 2007a , b ) of Maha jal
was the highest (1.28–1.69 kg) followed by
Chinese dip net (0.53–0.93 kg), long line (0.52–
0.68 kg), cage (0.21–0.56 kg) and gill net
(0.14–0.21 kg).
On the basis of the research fi ndings of the
present author, Sone Beel was declared as a ‘ wetland of national importance ’ by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of India
on 16 October 2008 (vide Resolution No. 11 dt.
16.10.2008, of MOEF Expert Group Meeting
and, also, Letter No. FRM 41/2008/63-A dt.
8.9.2008 from Commissioner and Secretary to
the Govt. of Assam, Department of Forests).
Chatla Haor
Geography
Chatla Haor (Plate 20.2 , Fig. 20.2 ) is situated
between 92° 46′ 11.8″ N and 24° 42′ 38″ E in the
Cachar District of Assam. It was said to be a
‘Beel’ (perennial wetland) some decades ago
having its water spread area reaching Silchar
town. Due to gradual siltation and eutrophication
occurring naturally in the successional process,
accelerated by man-made interference, today it
has become a ‘Haor’ (seasonal wetland) and
retains water for approximately 6 months in a
year having practically no dead storage level
(DSL). So it is almost completely dry during the
winter. Having a water spread area of c 1,600 ha
(approx.) at the full storage level (FSL), Chatla is
considered to be one of the biggest ‘Haor’ in
Assam (Kar and Barbhuiya 2000 ).
Around Chatla, the soil in the catchment is
generally sandy loam, but shore vegetation is
thin. The Haor is drained by a number of small
inlets (namely, Jalengachhara, Baluchhara,
Salganga) and an outlet (namely, River Ghaghara)
which drains itself into the River Barak. The
catchment of the Haor includes a small portion of
the Inner Line Reserve Forest (IRF). During
monsoon, the Chatla, like other similar wetlands,
receives some humic as well as inorganic and
organic nutrients from the hillocks and
surrounding cultivable lands.
Silchar City is situated c 15 km away from the
east of the wetland. Hailakandi town is situated c
35 km away from the western shore of the Haor.
The Block HQ at Barajalenga is situated c 5 km
away from the southern end of the wetland.
The maximum length ( L ), breadth ( B ), depth
( D ) and water spread area ( A ) of the wetland at
FSL have been measured to be 10 km, 2.5 km,
5.5 m and 1,600 ha, respectively. Prominent Silt
Islands (SI), namely, Bairagitila and Harintila,
have been found to occur towards the eastern
shore of the Haor. Other small SIs, namely,
Haltia, Diblia and Barshangan, occur towards the
SW side of the Haor.
Amongst the inlets, River Salgonga originates
from the foot hills of the Mizo Hill range, while
the Jalengachhara and Baluchhara, which are
mostly rheophilic in nature, fl ow down into the
Haor from the Inner Line RF. The only major
outlet, River Ghaghara, drains the water of the
Haor directly into River Barak traversing a tortuous course of c 14 km from the northern boundary of the Haor.
Phytoplankton
Studies revealed the occurrence of the following
genera/species of phytoplankton in Chatla Haor:
Nostoc, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Spirogyra,
Ankistrodesmus, Closterium, Euglena, Phacus,
Ceratium, Cosmarium, Volvox, Pinnularia,
Navicula, Diatoma, Gyrosigma, Diatoma, etc.
Oscillatoria sp. occasionally blooms during
spring. Euglena and Ceratium occasionally show
luxuriant population during rainy season.
20.2 Wetlands of Northeast India (The Water Wealth of Northeast India)