Alaka river fish farming project: Central team inspects Jagatsinghpur

JAGATSINGHPUR:  A six-member team of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) recently visited different areas of Biridi, Jagatsinghpur, Balikuda and Erasama to prepare Techno-Economic Feasibility Report as part of the fish farming project by reviving  Alaka river. The team, led by senior scientist of Kolkata-based CIFRI S K Das, interacted with local fishermen and officials of the Fishery department. They will soon submit a detailed project report (DPR), including planning and designing of fishing base, engineering design of associated structures and socio-economic aspects to both the Centre and the State Government for approval of the project.

District Fishery Officer Gyanranjan Samal said the Central team visited different locations of Alaka river and collected both soil and water samples for testing. “Last year, the district fishery office had submitted a project proposal to the State Government seeking 25 hectares of land of Alaka river for fish farming at Balikuda. We had estimated the cost at around `2.97 crore,” he said.

In 2016,  Society for Upliftment of Nation secretary Ratnakar Nayak had filed a PIL in Orissa High Court demanding eviction of encroachment from Alaka river bank from Birabarapatana of Biridi block to the Bay of Bengal in Erasama for rain water harvesting to augment irrigation potential.