Water pollution brings prawn project to closure after 10 years

“When the project started in 2007-end in Umarwada,the pond water was contaminated by very high levels of TDS,which is harmful for larvae growth,” said C N Khatri,Assistant Director,Fisheries. Echoing Khatri’s opinion,E M Victor,the marketing manager of Gujarat Fishing Central Cooperative Association (GFCCA),said that prawn breeding proved to be a biological disaster,as most of the larvae perished in a short span of time resulting in the closure of the project. “We are now looking at other prospects to start the project and are looking at joint ventures with foreign companies,” added Victor.

Ankleshwar reportedly has the highest TDS level in the state,which is above 1,500.

 According to GFCCA,the project funding was done under an Indo-French Protocol signed in 1996. Thereafter,work began at Umarwada in 1997 with an aim to provide pure and freshwater prawn seeds to fish farmers in a bid to reduce the pressure on natural sources of prawn seed available in the Narmada and Tapi.

The original project cost was estimated at nearly Rs 5.6 crore with the Gujarat and the French governments sharing 47 and 53 per cent of the costs. But revised estimates for the project stood at Rs 9.7 crore.

The French government was supposed to provide assistance for design,engineering,transfer of technology and equipment through a France-based consultant,Corepeche.

According to the GFCCA project report,by 2007,17 grow-out ponds,12 nursery cement cisterns,housing for scientists and staff,training centre hatchery and technical building,larvae rearing centre,and electrical facilities including a water pump house were also constructed. Dakshin Gujarat Vij Corporation Limited provided an electricity connection as well. Besides,a 2.4 km long pipeline connecting the farm site to the irrigation canal was also laid.