Fish Population in HDR Down

The fall in fish numbers have hit the livelihoods of more than 5000 fisherman who depend on the reservoir, according to a report onExpress Buzz.

Fisheries officials say the drop in fish numbers is because of over-fishing, but environmentalists say that the discharge of effluent from industry and overdrawing of water have forced the fish populations down.

The 74,592 hectareHirakud Dam Multi Purpose Project provides irrigation, flood control, power generation, water transportation as well as fishing.
Express Buzz says that as many as 140 species of fish have become extinct in last six decades. Investigations revealed there were 183 fish species in the HDR when it was build in the late 1950s. The number has now come down to 43 and out of the 43 species, only 18 species are eaten.

The maximum catch was recorded in 1980-81 when 843 tonnes of fish were netted, the lowest was recorded in 2004-05 when just 151.54 tonnes of fish were caught.