Chitala fish breeding to help maintain ecological balance in Ganga
Lucknow: For the first time in the country, river hatching of (state fish) Chitala will be done in Ganga. River ranching will prove helpful in keeping the ecosystem of rivers strong and keeping Ganga pollution free. Chitala fish helps in the livelihood of a large number of fishermen.
The chief guest of the river ranching program will be Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department, Parshottam Rupala and the program will be presided over by the Fisheries Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Nishad. River Ratching will be organized on September 5 at Ravidas Ghat in Varanasi.
Special Secretary and Director of Fisheries Department, Prashant Sharma said that river hatching of state fish Chitala will be done for the first time in Uttar Pradesh. On this occasion, about 1 lakh Chitala fish fingers will be released in the Ganga river in Varanasi. The program of river rafting will be organized on September 5 at 10 am at Ravidas Ghat.
Special Secretary Fisheries Department said that river hatching of Chitala fish will increase their numbers in the rivers, which will help in maintaining ecological balance in the rivers. The income of fishermen will increase. Besides, the availability of nutritious food rich in protein to the people who eat fish will also increase.
Director Fisheries Prashant Sharma told that Rajyamin (State Fish) Chitala has been included in the category of Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). For its promotion and conservation, the government is organizing a program of river hatching.
