Crackdown on unauthorized prawn farms

Stung by criticism that authorities promote and patronize unauthorized prawn farming, authorities have embarked on a drive to demolish prawn dykes that have sprouted up on the outskirts of Paradip Port Town.

The flourishing prawn farming on the outskirts of the port town had become a cause of worry because such practice was a constant source of water and air pollution. The Odisha State Pollution Control Board had expressed deep concern over unauthorized prawn farming activity in flagrant violation of procedural norms.

The tail-end of Mahanadi river system meander through the township’s outskirts before converging with sea waters. It owes its connectivity to numerous creeks, water-inlets and nullahs before oceanic convergence. The water-bodies traversing near Atharabanki are marked by judicious mixture of sweet and salinity content in water as there is frequent ingress of tidal waves into these water-inlets. It proves conducive for shrimp farming.

As a result, there has been mushrooming growth of prawn gheries (enclosure) in and around the township’s outskirts. Significantly, all these prawn culture dykes were unlawfully installed without the mandatory approval of Tehsil and Marine Fisheries Wing authorities.

“The administration has undertaken a drive to dismantle the dykes in a phased manner. About 15 acres of water bodies have come under the prawn cultivation. We have demolished prawn enclosures of 3 acres so far”, said Paradip Additional District Magistrate Surajit Das.

Notices have been issued on several owners of illegal prawn gheries. They have been directed to voluntarily demolish their dykes or else their enclosures would be razed with the use of force. Cases under prevention of encroachment of water-bodies have been registered against them. Penalty will be imposed on the unauthorized prawn unit owners. Besides, they would have to bear the cost of demolition of their dykes, Mr. Das stated.

“These unauthorized prawn gheries not only pose as stumbling blocks towards unhindered flow of natural water-bodies but also turn hazardous for aquatic animals including freshwater fish due to rampant use of chemicals in gheries. In recent years, there has been drop in fish yield due to such unauthorized activity”, commented Mr. Pitambar Tarai, a representative of traditional inland fishermen association.

The crux of the problem is that the traditional inland fishermen had legitimate fishing rights over these water-bodies as the Tehsil had leased them out against annual royalty payment. But influential prawn mafias, backed up by law-breakers and unscrupulous officials, had encroached upon the water-bodies to raise gheries. The poor fishermen were the worst sufferers due to drop in fish catch and annual income, Mr. Tarai added.

The local administration is often accused of extending both overt and covert patronage towards such unlawful activity as prawn farming is regarded as a money-spinning trade. As it has been often seen in the past, the demolished prawn dykes re-appear on the scene soon after the drive comes to an end. It has become an annual ritual, alleged a cross-section of inland fishermen.

“The administration is intent on completely dismantling the gheries from the water bodies near Paradip. There would be constant watch to ensure that the gheries do not spurt up again”, pointed out Mr. Das.

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