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Kapla beel is a perennial freshwater wetland of Barpeta district of Assam, India situated at the
global position between 26018/ 12// N to 260 25/ 7// N latitude and 910 08/ 42// E to 910 14/ 50// E
longitude. The present investigation reveals that the wetland of the present study site has degraded
or is under the stress of different environmental factors because of various natural as well as
anthropogenic activities occurring over the last few decades. Land use and land cover change is a
useful tool for determining the ecological degradation of wetland which is under the pressure of
several natural as well as man-made activities. The present study has been carried out to delineate
the changes of Kapla beel of Barpeta district, Assam using LANDSAT TM data. The results of the
present study reveal that the water spread areas of Kapla beel is reduced by 50.3% and 45.5% in
pre-monsoon and post monsoon season respectively during the year 1987 to 2013. It is mainly due to
encroachment inside the wetland area for different developmental activities. Besides the
construction of dykes surrounding the beel has caused formation of heavy detritus due to gradual
death and decay of aquatic macrophytes inside the wetland areas which ultimately make the wetland
very shallow. Therefore proper restoration measures of this important wetland of the district is the
need of honor for the sustainable existence of the wetland and also livelihood of the poor people
living in its vicinities.
Key words: Kapla beel, anthropogenic activities, land use and land cover change, LANDSAT TM data and restoration measures.