Tripura will expand pisiculture to meet growing demands

Agartala, Sep 20 (UNI) To meet the growing demands of the state's fish consumption Tripura government has decided to expand the existing pisciculture.

The government has decided to expand fish cultivation throughout the state through Rural Development department.

''Presently only 21,945.76 hectares area of water bodies are used in pisciculture, which is insufficient to meet the growing demands,'' official sources said Hence, there is a need to expand the cultvation in new areas, they added.

While, the state's yearly consumption is 41,000 mt it produces only an average of 23,870 mt, sources said.

To meet the deficit it imports the rest amount worth Rs 15 crore from other states and neighbouring countries.

''In a day people consume around 19.75 grams of fish, whereas, the national level rate was only 7 gram,'' an official report stated.

The state imports fish like Rohu and Katla from Andhra Pradesh and Hilsa mainly from Bangladesh.

A large amount of fish is cultivated at Dambur lake, Amarsagar, Dudh Sagar and Jagannath lake along with a number of rivers including Gomati in southern, Manu and Deo in northern and Khowai river barrage in western parts of the state.

Besides, people also cultivate fish in their own ponds.

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