Hyderabad: Following rains, the fisheries department has decided to release lakhs of fish seed – fertilised fish egg – into tanks across the state in a Rs 70 crore project to give a boost to fishermen.
Ranga Reddy district, for instance, will spend Rs 1.45 crore on releasing fish seed into 75 tanks in the district. “If all tanks fill up to a good level post-monsoon, then we will fill them with fish seed,” said district fisheries officer M. Rajaram. Medchal district will spend Rs 90 lakh to release fish seed into 125 tanks.
The department doesn’t seem to have thought out, however, how it would ensure that the fish seed don’t perish in polluted waters, a problem that affects most lakes in the state. Pollution killed lakhs of fish seed last session.
Isnapur lake in Sanga Reddy is one such. The fisheries department released lakhs of fish seed into it last monsoon, but rampant pollution, caused by the release of industrial effluents into the lake, killed much of the aquatic life in the lake in February this year.
Sanga Reddy district fisheries officer G. Sujatha says there isn’t much that can be done this year either to ensure that the fish seed survive.
“The PCB must stop companies from releasing effluents into the lake. This is a long-standing issue, but we have to go ahead to cater to the fishermen community as well.”
Environmentalist W.G. Prasanna sees a “complete lack of coordination” in the fish seed project.
“In any lake, fish are cleaning agents, but they can perform only up to a certain level. If the contamination or mud levels are too high, the fish perish,” he cautioned.
Boost for fishermen
Fertilised fish eggs to be released into tanks across state
Place Qty
Sangareddy 3 cr
Medchal 1.15cr
Ranga Reddy 3 cr
Fish to released: Katla, Rohu, Mrigala, Common Carp
