16th September 2022, Sundarbans
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore organized mass awareness-cum-livelihood initiatives by providing various inputs such as fish, fish feed and other inputs to the 500 SC farm families from 19 villages of Sundarbans mangrove areas with an objective to increase their income through fish farming in their backyard ponds as well as providing nutritional security through protein supplements. ICAR-CIFRI initiated livelihood enhancement initiative since last two years. 500 new beneficiaries are being added in 2022 to enhance their income. The programme was inaugurated today.
Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, in his inaugural address stated that in last two years around 1500 families of sunderbans have been benefitted through SC and STC programme by enhancing their income to Rs. 35,000/- and above with an investment of Rs. 8000/- by ICAR-CIFRI, besides catering their protein need for nutritional security of their family throughout the year.
Further these farm families have also opened saving bank account in the local nationalize bank and deposited the income earned from the fisheries activities. Similar model has been replicated to cover more beneficiaries, those are frequently affected by natural disaster and donot have any alternative livelihood besides paddy farming. In last 2 years apart from dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, natural calamities like Amphan, Yass, Jawad cyclones which has frequently broken the backbone of their economy. These meaningful proven interventions of ICAR-CIFRI could lead a sustainable livelihood option in the coming years.
Shri Manoj Kumar, Regional Manager, SBI and President, Kultali Milon Tirtha Society informed the farmers, the credit linkage facilities to a total of Rs. 2 Lakhs without any co-lateral security which will act as a Kishan Credit Card to be provided to these farming communities with 7% interest and if paid timely could be reduced to 2% which will add feathers to the livelihood enhancement programmes to the remotest part of the Sundarbans area.
Shri Lokman Molla, President, Kultali Milon Tirtha Society said that the intervention of ICAR-CIFRI for the poorest of the poor has resulted in economic empowerment of the rural community. He said that distribution of inputs such as fish, fish feed to the 500 SC farm families would be an addition to their sustainability. The joint programme of ICAR-CIFRI and Kultali Milon Tirtha Society in terms of facilitating the beneficiaries, providing logistic support and linking with ICAR-CIFRI in long run will address the Sustainable Development Goal not only for male fishing community but also for women.
On this occasion, Dr. P. K. Parida, Scientist cum In-charge, SCSP gave a detailed presentation of farming in backyard pond starting from pre-stocking management, stocking and feeding and measurement of the fish growth during the entire farming practice.
The entire programme was planned to a guided projection method where a minimal investment of 30-35 Lakhs would provide an income of 150 Lakhs which is more than 4-fold income envisages the Honorable Prime Ministers’ vision of doubling farmers’ income and addressing the National Mission of PMMSY.
The backyard ponds in these villages are used for their drinking cum fish farming purpose. As the area is predominated with most of the SC families (around 60-70% ) and as these are the disaster prone areas with no alternative livelihood, this activity was planned and executed.
(Source: ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore)
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