Brainstorming Session organized at ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore

2^nd May, 2019, Barrackpore

The ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore organized a Brainstorming Session on “Social implication and fisheries of Ganga river basin with special reference to Hilsa” at its campus today.

The Chief Guest, Dr. B.K. Das, Director and Principal Investigator, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) highlighted the salient achievements on Hilsa fisheries improvement programme in the middle stretch of the river Ganga and the project activities on biodiversity and ecology of river Ganga under NMCG. He also underlined the impact of recent ranching programme of Hilsa in the river Ganga at above Farraka barrage location, which was recaptured at Sultaganj, Jharkhand, 78 km upstream of the barrage.

Dr. A.K. Saxena, Former General President, Indian Science Congress Association & Former Dean, CSJM applauded the ICAR-CIFRI for the research activities on Hilsa Fisheries and biodiversity in the river Ganga under the NMCG programme.

During the discussion, the following important points were brought out:

1. To expand the Ban period of Hilsa to 120 days from the existing 60 days
2. The river and estuaries mouth siltation, river poisoning, reduction of river flows due to barrages and erratic rainfall are among the major concerns that are responsible for decline in the Hilsa population in river Ganga.
3. The proposal to create the Hilsa Sanctuary and PPP approach for Hilsa Fisheries management in the river Ganga.

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