Union Minister Sushri Uma Bharti Visits ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore

26^th May, 2017, Barrackpore,

Sushri Uma Bharti, Union Minister of Water Resources, River development and Ganga Rejuvenation visited ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore Kolkata today.

Minister in her speech emphasized that the two scientific institutions in India namely ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore and Forest Research Institute, Dehradun are contributing significantly in the National Mission on Clean Ganga. She stressed that ‘Nirmal Dhara’ of river Ganga can be achieved only when original aqualife (fish, dolphin, etc.) of river Ganga can be restored in their own habitats. Role of ICAR-CIFRI is immense in this direction for biodiversity mapping and restoring original aqualife of river Ganga. Learning from experiences of other rivers in wholesome management of the river Ganga will certainly make the river Ganga as the best river maintaining its uniqueness as targeted, she added.

Naming Fishermen, Scientists and the people who are dependent on Ganga for their livelihood as the Ganga Parivaar, she asked all to contribute towards making Ganga clean and incessant. She handed over fish nets to fish farmers of Sagar Island. She took keen interest in the exhibition showing fishes of River Ganga. Minister released a poster in Hindi on fishes of River Ganga.

Two main prized warm water fishes Rohu (Labeo rohita) and Catla (Catla catla) was released under the project by Sushri Uma Bharti, in river Ganga at Barrackpore, West Bengal.

Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI apprised of the work done on fisheries in River Ganga and other rivers of the country by the institute.

Shri U. P. Singh, IAS, Director General of National Mission on Clean Ganga, Shri B. K. Biswas, Chairman, Ground Water Board and Shri Madhusudan Ghosh, Local MLA were also present on this occasion.

ICAR-CIFRI under NMCG project on fish and fisheries of River Ganga is being assigned to understand both qualitative and quantitative distribution of fish species. A total of 158 fish species have already been recorded from the entire stretch of River Ganga. 1 endangered, 2 Vulnerable and 14 near threatened species have been recorded. In respect to the present scenario, contribution of major consumable fish species especially Indian Major Carps (IMC) have declined drastically all throughout the river Ganga due to various anthropogenic activities in past decades such as pollution, overfishing, use of destructive fishing gears etcTwo thousand and five hundred fingerlings (sized 8-10 cm) of Rohu (Labeo rohita) and Catla (Catla catla) has been released as per the ranching objective under the present NMCG sponsored project.

(Source: ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore)