Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav
ICAR-CIFRI provided technical support for fisheries enhancements in Chilabondha beel of Assam
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore through its Guwahati Regional Centre has been undertaking research and development activities related to the sustainable management of open water fisheries in the North-eastern Region of India. As part of ‘Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav’ programme of the Institute, a team of researchers from the Centre visited Chilabondha beel (floodplain wetland) located in Kaliabor Development Block of Nagaon district, Assam for rendering technical assistance to the beel user community following a request from the Chilabondha Beel Unnayan Sommittee (CBUS). The Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Assam cleared off dense aquatic macrophytes from the larger part (11 ha area) of the beel under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) scheme of NABARD during 2014-15 and handed over the beel to the CBUS for managing the fishery resource. Six villages are located along the periphery of the beel, which are inhabited mostly by scheduled caste population (66.7% of the total) who are small farmers (150 nos.). Number of medium, large and landless farmers in the villages are 20 (8.9%), 5 (2.2%) and 50 (22.2%) respectively. With the emergence of an additional livelihood option in the form of beel fisheries, the beel development committee (BDC) plans to initiate fisheries enhancements in the beel with technical support from CIFRI and in active collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries, Govt. of Assam. The technical support team was led by Dr. B.K. Bhattacharjya, Head of the Centre and included Dr. D. Debnath, Scientist as well as Dr. S. Sarma, Coordinator (Fisheries), ARIAS Society, Govt. of Assam, Guwahati. Based on the field visit to the beel site, preliminary assessment of water quality as well as discussions with the BDC (led by Shri Benudhar Borah, President and Shri Tankeswar Borah, Secretary), the CIFRI-DoF team worked out measures for supplementary stocking and pen aquaculture in the beel for enhancing its fish production for the inclusive benefit of the local beel user community.
