Being an avid observer of anything related to wildlife and Environment, renowned Herpetologist Jayaditya Purkayastha did not miss sighting a small passerine bird known as magpie-robin that frequent his area of residence. On closely monitoring the bird he realised that the feathered friend comes every day at around 3 pm to quench its thirst from a dripping water tap that is operated at that particular time. The bird would not have to wait to satisfy its thirst if it were a rural area as open water sources are found abundantly and every other household has a pond at the front yard, said Purkayastha.
Ponds, locally known as Pukhuris, once dotted the landscape of the fertile land of Assam. However, with rapid Urbanisation the water bodies are shrinking and posing a serious threat to the ecosystem. This ultimately results in artificial floods that have been leaving a disastrous impact in the urban landscape.
Water bodies support a self-sustaining environment and host incredibly rich and Fauna. These water bodies can be used wisely to supply limitless Resources for the maintenance of dependent creatures. However, the majority of the water bodies have been completely destroyed by environmental deterioration. It is now essential to preserve the remaining water bodies. The Guwahati city has several water bodies distributed centrally and at the outskirt. The important water bodies include Jurpukhuri, Silpukhuri, Dighalipukhuri and Nagkotapukhuri. The Sola beel (lake) in the heart of the city and the Deeepor Beel in the western outskirt of the city on the other hand received highly polluted waste from surrounding areas and through a Network of drains.