Southern States - Karnataka

Providing a rich view of fishes

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN MARCH 2. For people of the district where agriculture is a way of life, and coconut, potato, and ragi form part of their staple diet, exposure to marine delicacies is a rarity.

Keeping this in mind, the Department of Fisheries of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat has set up an aquarium at the Maharaja Park here to present the people a view of the rich and diverse variety in the aquatic world.

The facility has captured the minds of people since its inauguration on Republic Day by the Revenue Minister, H.C. Srikantaiah. Work on the project was started in 1998 by the Karnataka Land Army Corporation Limited and it was completed at a cost of Rs. 27.05 lakh.

The aquarium has 34 tanks, including 28 large ones, housing 30 varieties of ornamental and regular fishes. While the common local varieties, such as carp, have been housed in large tanks, the ornamental varieties have been accommodated in small tanks. Some of the varieties that people can view include "Catla" and "Cat fish."

The location of the aquarium is also convenient to the people. The department charges an entry fee of Rs. 2 for adults and Re. 1 for children. The collections go towards maintaining the facility, including regular change of water in the tanks, and other expenses.

The department also distributes nearly 60 lakh fish seedlings among fishermen, who carry out the trade in small and big tanks spread across the district. The annual production from these tanks is estimated at 5,000 tonnes, according to H. Nagaraj, senior assistant director of the department.

The Deputy Director of KLAC, M. Srinivas, told The Hindu that procedural delays had affected the early completion of the project. He said that it had been ensured that the quality in construction had been maintained.

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