Angul (Odisha): Over 300 families belonging to the traditional fishermen community are to be suffered for implementation of the crocodile conservation project in Satkosia gorge of River Mahanandi in Odisha.
However, the fishermen community living nearby areas of Satkosia gorge in Odisha's Angul district have raised their concerns for the environment but on the other hand, they are now in a dilemma as to how to survive and maintain their livelihood.
Since the state forest department has imposed restrictions on fishing activity in the gorge, these fishermen families who were sustaining their livelihood for years together by catching fish there, are now sitting idle.
"Catching fish in the gorge is the only option available to us. We catch fish in the gorge and sell them in the market to maintain our livelihood. But now as the forest department has prohibited fishing activity in the gorge, we find it difficult to arrange two meals a day for our family," said Chittaranjan Naik, President, Satkoisia fishermen union.
"These fishermen families of the villages of Ghat Sahi, Keuta Sahi, Nua Sahi, Gaindi, Ramimunda, Behera Sahi and Majhi Pada etc reside in the river valley area. For generations, they are maintaining their livelihood only by catching fish from Mahanadi. They catch fish mostly in the area from Sunakhani to Ramagaon canal in the gorge as adequate quantities of fish are available within this 11 km stretch of the river. Now, what will they do? Government has to take some steps for them," Naik said.
Meanwhile, the 11 Km area where fishing activities were continuing has been declared as a no-fishing zone by the forest department. The forest department has taken the decision to ban fishing activity in the gorge keeping in view the security of the crocodiles and with a plan to breed more crocodiles in the river.
This has put a question mark on the livelihood of the fishermen community.
In this connection, the Divisional Forest Officer of Satkosia says that the restrictions on fishing have been imposed on an experimental basis. In the later stage, these people would be provided with alternative sources of livelihood.
But questions have been raised as the forest department authorities of Satkosia have been imposing restrictions on the residents of the area one after another at different periods. Because of that, the dissatisfaction of the people against the forest department is gradually intensifying.
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