Defying ban, fishing continues in Ganga

DESPITE A ban on fishing in the Ganga, it continues. The Forest Department has declared a seven-kilometre distance in the Ganga from Rajghat to Ramnagar fort as a ?Tortoise sanctuary? and fishing is strictly prohibited in the area.

DESPITE A ban on fishing in the Ganga, it continues. The Forest Department has declared a seven-kilometre distance in the Ganga from Rajghat to Ramnagar fort as a ‘Tortoise sanctuary’ and fishing is strictly prohibited in the area.

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However, many local fishermen fish in the area during night hours. A variety of different fish like Rehu, Tengar, Belgagra are found in abundance here.

In fact, local fishermen can be seen fishing at Assi Ghat, Bhadaini Ghat, Ananadmai Ghat, Hanuman Ghat, Manmanir Ghat, Bhaisasur Ghat.

The Forest Department and Jal Police launch campaigns from time to time to check such illegal practices in the Ganga.

Sub-Divisional officer of the Forest Department, Subhash Chandra Tripathi said his department along with the Jal Police had arrested four fishermen of Sujabad area engaged in fishing.

He said apart from such campaigns, the department organised seminars, workshops and other programmes at regular intervals to make locals aware about the disastrous effects on environment that fishing causes.

“In order to redress the problem of rising pollution in the Ganga through biological methods, it had been decided during initiation of the Ganga Action Plan in 1986 to use tortoises in the Ganga,” he said and added tortoises usually eat decomposed bodies of animals which were thrown in the river.

Tripathi said the area between between Rajghat and Ramnagar fort was declared as ‘Tortoise Sanctuary’ in 1989.

He added a tortoise rehabilitation centre was established in Sarnath for the purpose and from that period, the forest department had started releasing tortoises in the Ganga.

However, this practice was stopped in 1995-96 due to some official problem.

“The practice of leaving tortoises has now started again and for the purpose 2000 tortoise eggs were brought at the tortoise rehabilitation centre,” he
said.