Our Correspondent
Imphal, Jan. 7 (EMN): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday inaugurated 18 cage culture units (aquaculture production system) and 11 pen culture units under the Loktak Livelihood Mission through video conferencing in Imphal.
The new cage culture and 11 pen culture units were constructed and installed at various locations of Loktak Lake, Takmu Lake and Thanga for ensuring sustainable economy of the people and boosting fish production in the State.
Minister for Fisheries, S Rajen Singh, Deputy Speaker K Robindro Singh, MP (Rajya Sabha) Maharajah Leishemba Sanajaoba, Commissioner M Harekrishna, Director H Balkrisna Singh of Fisheries department and others were present at the function.
Speaking during the function, the CM said that the Loktak Livelihood Mission, which was launched in 2018, is an initiative of the state government aimed at improving the livelihood of the people living on the periphery of Loktak Lake and to increase the income of farmers by utilising marshy land in and around the water body besides providing employment opportunities to many.
Reiterating that the state has been spending around INR 400 crore annually for procurement of fish from outside the state, he said the government had decided to be self-sufficient in fish production and save draining of crores of money in fish imports since 2017.
The state have saved over INR 100 crore in fish import, he said while maintaining that a total of INR 15 crore has been earmarked in the budget for the Loktak Livelihood Mission.
In another development, Manipur’s Fisheries department in association with Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) Kolkata distributed soil and water testing mobile kits to 30 fish farmers of the state who were selected from both the hill and valley districts.
Director Heisnam Balkrisna Singh, Additional Director Khamsing Ahum of Fisheries department and Principal Scientist Dr. Subhendu Adhikari of CIFA were present at the dprogramme held at the Fisheries department auditorium in Imphal.
Speaking on the occasion, the director said that Manipur has vast potential in development of fisheries for self-reliance. The fisheries resources like lakes, rivers, water bodies and marshy land in the state are to be developed in order to tap its potential for enhancement of fish production so as to meet the growing demands of fish, it was informed.
He appealed to the fish farmers to strive for enhancement of production by adopting scientific and latest technology.
Stating that the distribution of mobile soil and water testing kits to selected fish farmers of Imphal West, Bishnupur and Kamjong Districts was an initiative of the state’s Fisheries Department in collaboration with CIFA, Kolkata, for scientific approach towards increasing fish production, he lauded the prompt response of CIFA and progressive fish farmers of the state.
Principal Scientist of CIFA Kolkata, Dr. Subhendu, also conducted a hands-on training for fish farmers about proper and correct usage of the mobile water and soil testing methods at the event.