Srinagar, Aug 18: The Centre has notified a Cold-Water Fisheries Cluster Development Project in Anantnag, with Kulgam and Shopian as partnering districts.
“The Cold Water Cluster Development Project worth Rs 427 crore has been notified in Anantnag district,” the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying recently informed the Lok Sabha.
A senior J&K Fisheries Department official said the cluster will primarily cover Anantnag, with Kulgam and Shopian as partnering districts.
The Centre has already approved aRs 100 crore Trout Integrated Aqua Park near Dandipora-Kokernag under the Pradhan MantriMatsyaSampadaYojana (PMMSY).
However, the Atlantic trout fish farming project proposed by the Centre at Bidhar-Kokernag remains in the preliminary examination stage due to concerns over ecology, drinking-water availability and its impact on local fish units.
The proposal, in collaboration with Fountainhead Agro-Farms Ltd., is undergoing feasibility and environmental assessments, the Fisheries Department said.
“No final decision has been taken” on its establishment.
Separately, according to the data tabled by the Ministry in the House, J&K has been sanctioned fisheries and aquaculture projects worth Rs 154.57 crore under Pradhan MantriMatsyaSampadaYojana( PMMSY).
“The projects have a central share of Rs 81.43 crore. Rs 79.61 crore has been released and Rs 63.44 crore utilised,” it said.
The package includes 751 trout raceways, five hatcheries, five fish feed mills, 70 fish kiosks, 66 live fish vending centres, 211 three-wheelers with ice boxes, 21 refrigerated vehicles, 64 biofloc units, eight RAS units and 18 value-added enterprises.
The Ministry said 88,225 fishers in J&K have been covered under livelihood and nutritional support.
Ladakh has been sanctioned projects worth Rs 33.49 crore. Rs 12.17 crore has been released and Rs 11.23 crore utilised.
Its package includes 344 trout raceways, 13 hatcheries, two RAS units, four ornamental fish units, 23 fish kiosks, two ice plants/cold storages, two insulated and refrigerated vehicles and 130 scooters with ice boxes.
“A Cold Water Fisheries Cluster has also been notified in Kargil,” the Ministry informed.
J&K and Ladakh together account for Rs 188.06 crore in sanctioned projects.
Across the UTs, the Centre has approved PMMSY projects worth Rs 1,032.66 crore. Of this, Rs 246.55 crore has been released and Rs 201.57 crore utilised.
J&K accounts for nearly 32 per cent of funds released and 31.5 per cent of utilisation across the UTs.
It has utilised about 80 per cent of funds released, against 82 per cent across the UTs.
J&K has the third-highest sanctioned project cost among the UTs, after Puducherry (Rs 357.19 crore) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Rs 280.67 crore).
The Ministry said PMMSY, launched in 2020-21, aims to increase fish production, improve fishermen’s incomes and livelihoods, strengthen infrastructure and value chains, and diversify income sources.
Among other UTs, Lakshadweep has projects worth Rs 71.51 crore, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Rs 129.90 crore and Delhi Rs 5.33 crore. Chandigarh has taken up no fisheries development project under PMMSY.
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