The delectable hilsa seems to be fast dwindling from the markets in the coastal districts of Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur, putting a strain on the people of Odisha. Following a low catch, the cost of hilsa too has gone up significantly. These days the cost of hilsa ranges from Rs 700 to Rs 800/kg and even the small-sized fish are being sold for not less than Rs 500/kg. “The irony is that the hilsa has now turned into a luxury item, beyond the reach of the common man due to its exorbitantly high price,” said Swadhin Dash, a bank employee from Kendrapada. “A few years back Kendrapada, Jagatasinghpur and its nearby fish markets would be flooded with the hilsa, but now it has become a rare sight in the market. And those that are coming are very small in size,” said Narayan Haldar, president of the Odisha Masyajibi Forum. One of the main reasons for the shrinking hilsa population is the abundant use of mosquito-gill fishing net. “When one uses the the mosquito net, the small-sized hilsa gets killed. Moreover, catching baby hilsa has also affected the catch. The neighbouring state of West Bengal has banned catching and selling of hilsa weighing less than 500 grams. Taking a cue from West Bengal, we are now contemplating banning the catch of baby hilsa in the state,” Pratap Rout, joint director (marine) in the state fisheries department, said. Industrial pollutants are also to blame for poisoning the hilsa breeding ground. The fresh water flow through the Mahanadi and its tributaries too have decreased due to the increase in salinity of the brackish water of the estuarine delta, the officer added.But the construction of dams, barrages and anicuts over the rivers have created an obstruction in migration of hilsa, resulting in sharp decline in the supply of the fish in the state.