Under a pilot project, the Haryana Fisheries Department will take on lease about 10,000 acres of waterlogged land identified in district Charkhi Dadri to undertake fish farming. The farmers were unable to carry out any farming activity on the identified waterlogged land in 35 villages of the district, said an official spokesman. Recently, the State Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, OP Dhankar, had held a meeting with senior officers of the departments of Fisheries, Irrigation, Development and Panchayats and it was found out that more than 4.15 lakh hectares of land in the state was waterlogged. The spokesman said that the Fisheries Department would take land on lease for five years at the prescribed rates of the Panchayat Department. Farmers interested in leasing land may contact in the office of Block Development and Panchayat Officers concerned. He said that a committee comprising of State-level officers of the departments of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries and panchayats had been constituted and responsibilities had been fixed for quick action on this scheme. The committee would work to give final shape to the scheme. It would be headed by Director, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department whereas Director General, Fisheries Department would be the Secretary. The Committee has been asked to submit its report within one month, he added. Notably, about 4.15 lakh hectares of land in the state is water-logged out of which 62,728 hectares has ground water level of less than 1.5 meter whereas 3,52,204 hectares have ground water level of between 1.5 to 3 meter. Haryana Government had recently decided to take land on lease on which the farmers are unable to carry out farming activities due to the water-logging problem. Under this, about 16,000 acres of waterlogged land in Jhajjar and Rohtak has also been identified.