International Science Community Association International Research Journal of Social Sciences 2319 - 3565 5 1 2016 January 14 Socio-Economic Influences of Wetlands on the Life of the People: A Case Study of Hnahila Beel, Nagaon, Assam, India 42 46 EN Yogendra Musahar 1 centre for the Study of Regional Development Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi - 110067, INDIA M.G. Srinivasan 1 Dept. of Law , Pune University, Pune, INDIA Reddy Y Gangadhara 1 Political Science (Retd), Union Christian College. No.1004, 7 th Main, Chowdeshwari Layout, Marathahalli, Bangalore , Karnataka, INDIA G.R. Aswath 2 Department of Political Science, Government Women’s College, Kolar, Karnataka, INDIA B. Razia 1 Department of Education, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P INDIA Sumit Sumit 1 ndira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, INDIA Umesh Kumar Khute 1 Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, INDIA Kasireddy Nagendra Reddy 1 Door No.6 - 2 - 811 , Near Narayana School, Ramnagar, Anantapuramu - 515001, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA P. Coelho Joanna 1 Department of Sociology, Goa University, Goa, INDIA Jyoti Bhuyan Manash 1 Department of Geography, Gauhati University, Ghy - 14, Assam, INDIA > Case Study 2015 10 26 2016 January 14 Wetlands are diverse, productive systems of ecological, economic, social and cultural value. Wetlands are the habitat of numerous flora and fauna which have their own ecological significance. They are mainly the abode of variety of species of aquatic life. Assam, situated in the north-eastern part of India has rich aquatic wealth. Numerous beels, swamps, rivers and ponds clearly reflect her richness in aquatic wealth. The Brahmaputra valley of Assam is endowed with numerous large and small wetlands (beels). In Assam, 10123 sq. km. has been occupied by wetlands i.e. 9.7% of the total geographical area of Assam. Nagaon district of Assam is located in the flood plain of the river Brahmaputra having a large number of wetlands. The district has a total of 379 wetlands accounting 11.15% of the total land area (ARSAC, March 2011). These wetlands play a very significant role in socio-economic lives of the local people. Since time immemorial, people had been utilizing the resources of the wetlands for their personal benefits. Wetlands provide a number of options on which people can find out varieties of ways to generate their sources of income. This paper is an attempt to study the impacts of Hnahila beel on the socio-economic lives of the people. The data collected for this purpose is based on both primary and secondary sources. Copyright@ International Science Community Association