Gobindsagar Reservoir emerges as Fish Bowl of the country

Delegation call on Chief Minister

Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA-----A delegation of Himachal Pradesh Non-Teaching PTA Employees Association led by its President Shri Beshriya Ram and Vice President Shri Jagdeep called on Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh at Sarkaghat in Mandi district today.

The delegation urged the Chief Minister for framing a policy for the welfare of Non Teaching PTA employees category.

The Chief Minister assured the delegation to consider their genuine demands sympathetically.

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Gobindsagar Reservoir emerges as Fish Bowl of the country 

Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA-----With a likely fish production level of over 1400 metric tonnes valued over eight crores, the state's Gobind sagar reservoir is witnessing record fish production during the current year bringing enhanced income and cheers to 2500 fishermen belonging to 30 fishermen co-operative societies.  Disclosing this here today Principal Secretary, Fisheries Shri Tarun Shridhar said that this year production output in state's fish basket was of crucial importance as only three years back during 2011-2012, the fisheries from this major water body had plummeted to rock bottom level of 620 tonnes-- less than half than the present production.

Shri Tarun Shridhar said that happy turn- around in production level was attributed not only to the series of management and development efforts undertaken by the Department but also the meticulous and intensive fishing efforts made by the fishermen community. Ranching, being the backbone of reservoir fisheries development, was given highest focus and over 17 million legal- sized, quality fingerlings of commercially important Genetic carps (almost three times than the usual stocking) were stocked in the water body under stock enhancement strategy, he added.

Collaterally, strict conservation and patrolling was carried out throughout the year in general and close- season period particularly. Quality gill nets of fine twine were provided to selected fishermen under the subsidy- oriented programme. The regular fishermen training programmes were also re-oriented and made need- specific. All these efforts borne fruit in resulting spurt in fish production and virtually, doubling of fishermen average monthly incomes.

Pertinently, it may be mentioned that among the large reservoirs                (>10000ha ) of the country, the Gobindsagar reservoir is consistently maintaining highest per hectare production level in the country for over last three decades. The current year production of 131 kg/ ha is of added significance as it is almost 12 times more than the national average of 11.4 kg / ha as reported in FAO reports.

Principal Secretary said that various hydro biological studies undertaken of the reservoir by the state research agencies and Central Inland Fisheries institute, Barrackpore ( ICAR ) on the carrying capacity had indicated the optimal production rate of this mesotrophic water sheet around 150/kg per ha and the Department was fully optimistic in achieving the said target in the coming years.

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