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Participants with Cheif Guest, administration, Invitess and Village Council Members[/caption]
Dimapur, March 7 (EMN): The Anglers Association of Nagaland (AAN) successfully organized and completed a two day River Angling Festival at Tizu River, Moya Village, Pungro Sub-Division, Kiphire Dist. Nagaland on 2nd-3rd March 2017. The Angling Festival was held in collaboration with the District Administration, Pungro and Moya Village Council. The aims of the festival were to create a much-needed awareness to conserve and protect the Tizu River ecosystem, promote Angling as a sport and a recreational activity and also to promote the area as an Eco-Tourism hub of the state.
The Tizu River is one of the major rivers of Nagaland and a unique river in itself. Unlike most rivers, the Tizu originates from the state, flows into Myanmar, joins the Chindwin and then the Irrawaddy instead of the Brahmaputra. This river is a home to the Mahseers and mountain trout besides the many other fish species found in the river.The two-day River Angling Festival received a very enthusiastic response from anglers, Moya villagers and the villages surrounding the Tizu River. More than 400 people, besides anglers, came to witness the festival. Men and women, young and old converged on the bank of the river Tizu during the 2-day event.
Shri. S. Bhattacharya, Director, NEC Energy Power, Pvt. Ltd was the Chief Guest of the event. The District Administration was led by the young and energetic Shri. S. Chonpenthung Ezung, SDO(C), Pungro. Other guests include the Moya Village Council led by its Chairman, Moya Village Head GB, Chairman GB Assn. Pungro Division, Pungro Public Forum President, Yimchunger Tribal Council President, SDO(C) Shri Samuel Thyug, EAC Longmatra Shri Wangam Phom, Commandant 7AR Kiphire Colonel Aditya Verma and various other delegates from the Tizu river surrounding villages attended the festival. The Chief Guest called upon the various stakeholders of Tizu River to conserve and protect the river and also stressed on sustainability and stopping of rampant exploitation of natural resources. Shri. Chonpenthung Ezung, SDO(C) spoke about the uniqueness and potentiality of the area as an Eco-Tourism hub and seek the co-operation of all stakeholders. Other speakers included the Chairman, Moya Village, and Head GB Moya village, Chairman GB Assn. Pungro Division, Pungro Public Forum President and Yimchunger Tribal Council President. They assured that they will do everything to preserve and protect the river and it's eco systems.
As a part of the Tizu River Angling Festival, a fishing competition was held with total prize money of 1 lakh sponsored by the Chief Guest + gift hampers from festival sponsors. However, no participant could catch the minimum required size fish for the prize due to which the prize will be kept for the next upcoming AAN event. Around 45 participants competed for the said prize.
The Tizu River Angling Festival saw its first participant from a foreign country with Mr. Derek Mackay, a 70-year-old angling enthusiast from Scotland, attending the festival. Anglers from within the state, Karnataka, and Assam too participated in the festival. Mementos, Certificates and cool angling gift hampers from the sponsors, were distributed to all participants.
