[Assam] Move to turn Dhemaji swamps into fisheries (The Assam Tribune, 02.03.2009)

[Buljit Buragohain]

Move to turn Dhemaji swamps into fisheries
 Sanjoy Ray

 DHEMAJI, March 1 – Floods, over the years, may have shattered normal
life in Dhemaji, but if the moves initiated by the district
administration come to fruition, this natural calamity could well turn
into a blessing in disguise for those distressed people. The district
administration, cashing in on the latest scientific advancements, is
now planning to not only bridge the deficit the in annual fish
production in the district, but also to engage thousands of unemployed
youths in the business, by making a thorough study of the nature of the
floods in the district.

Official sources told The Assam Tribune
that the administration has already identified at least 1,100 hectare
of low-lying area in the district, which will be converted into
fisheries under Assam Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (AREGS).

“Already,
water tanks covering an area 148 hectare have been excavated under 197
numbers of water conservation schemes,” the sources said.

Deputy
Commissioner, Dhemaji, Dr P Ashok Babu said that though the total
annual demand for fish in the district is 9,700 metric tonne (MT), its
production in the district is limited to 5948 MT. 

“There is an
urgent need for replacing the traditional practices with scientific
pisciculture, both in the excavated water tanks or in the reclaimed
water bodies, to meet the demand in the district,” Dr Babu asserted. 

“If
the plans under various schemes are utilised to the optimum level,
Dhemaji can not only become self-sufficient, but can also export fish
to other parts of the country,” the DC said.

Of the total 4,208
hectare area of fish producing water bodies, 3,759 hectare (4,948 MT)
comprise natural water bodies, the rest 449 hectare (1,125 MT) being
excavated water tanks.

Another official of the district
administration, when asked, informed that the administration is laying
special stress on involving the self-help groups (SHGs) of the
district. 

“If we can manage maximum utilisation of our
resources, it, apart from improving fish production, would further
increase the income of the SHGs by five times,” he added.

(The Assam Tribune,02.03.2009)



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