Ranchi: Arjun Mohapatra is a happy person now as he has got a strong source of income in form of fisheries. Arjun, a resident of Banskata village in Sonuwa block of West Singhbhum, was unemployed until a few years ago after the land was lost for the construction of a reservoir. He was maintaining himself by running a shop but there was not enough income to live a happy life.
Luckily the cage method came as a boon for fish farming in his life. Mohapatra was educated but unemployed, however, with the help of Deputy Commissioner Chaibasa a committee was formed in Pansuwa for fisheries. After seeing this, other people also joined this committee and the caravan was formed. Dozens of people like Arjun made fisheries the basis of their livelihood and marched towards self-reliance. Pansuva Reservoir is located in Sonuwa Block and was constructed to provide irrigation facilities to the villagers by displacing five villages here.
Under the Rural Water Supply Scheme, water is made available to the villagers for irrigation from this reservoir. After being displaced, the villagers did not have any means of employment. As soon as the cage culture started fishing in the dam by the Deputy Commissioner Chaibasa on the instructions of the government, the villagers got the hope and employment and also increased their source of income.
Two motorboats have been provided by the district administration to the fisheries committee of the reservoir, so that the journey from Sonuwa to Gudri block is completed, as well as the possibilities of tourism in the reservoir are also being explored. With the help of motorboats, villagers can also earn income in the field of tourism.
So far, 69 cage batteries are present in various reservoirs located in West Singhbhum, out of which 53 cage batteries have been made available to the district under the Blue Revolution Scheme and 16 cage battery reservoirs under the Fisheries Development Scheme. Along with this, three motorboats are also operated in the district under the Reservoir Fisheries Development Scheme.
In view of the immense possibilities of employment in the field of fisheries and increase in the income of fish farmers, proposal has been sent by the district administration for the construction of 25 SCAs items, 17 DMFT items and 20 new cage batteries to the state which will be established in various water bodies of the district so that unlimited employment opportunities can be created in the field of fisheries.
Along with this, a proposal for eight motorboats has also been sent under the SCA item, after which employment can be created in the field of tourism. At present, employment is being created among the villagers in the field of tourism through two motorboats in Pansuva dam and one in the Nakti dam of the district. “It is the priority of the government to provide strong means of income to the displaced families living near the reservoirs in their village itself.
Employment generation is also to be done through this. At present, efforts are being made to provide all possible facilities to the fish farmers on the instructions of the government. being done,” said Deputy Commissioner, Chaibasa Ananya Mittal.