Tripura government has decided to invest Rs 20.67 crore in the next two years for introducing cage culture for fish production in Dumbur Lake of Dhalai district, Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das said here on Thursday. The project will be implemented as part of the Rural Infrastructure Development program, aiming to enhance the productivity and sustainability of fisheries in the state.
Tripura has been importing fish largely from Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh to meet domestic demand. He informed that about 3,032 fishermen in Gandacherra – around Dumbur Lake, have been earning an average of Rs 8,000–14,000 per month from fishery activities. But fishing activity in Dumbur Lake is suspended during monsoon every year due to the heavy flow of water, and during these three months, the state government provides a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 to each fisherman to support their livelihood.
Dumbur, one of the largest water bodies in the country, falls under the jurisdiction of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). The Minister stated that the state government had used the reservoir for the cultivation of 24 lakh, 29 lakh, and 22 lakh fishlings in the last three financial years, respectively. ”
As of now, 1512 cages have been installed, fish cultivation has begun, besides an experimental approach has been adopted for pan-culture to further enhance fish cultivation in the lake,” Das said, adding that the department has taken steps to produce fishlings of all local available varieties in 75 water bodies over 10.32 hectares of land, providing benefit to 1769 families