Meghalaya today launched its first ever oxygenated van which was handed over to a fish farmer in East Jaiñtia Hills district.
The oxygenated van which will transport fishlings to farmers in all the villages in the district was handed over by the district deputy commissioner E. Kharmalki to Lamsing Tynsong of Lahaleiñ village who was selected to be the first beneficiary by the Fisheries department.
Tynsong, a national awardee in fishery is a role model who had encouraged many farmers to take up fish culture as principal occupation. He started fishery activities through his own effort in 2005-06 and later on his project was assisted under “1000-ponds” scheme 2009-10.
East Jaiñtia Hills Superintendent of Fisheries Hubert Kharbuki informed that the oxygenated van was sanctioned through the Blue Revolution 2017-18 scheme at Rs 11.60 lakh out of which Tynsong contributed Rs 4.64 lakh. The rest was borne by the government.
Kharbuki said that Tynsong has contributed immensely to the growth of fisheries in the district and was able to set up 32 hatcheries.
He hoped that the beneficiary would be able to transport fishlings to the remotest villages along the international border that would benefit the farmers there.
“Since the temperature in those villages situated along the border is high, we will no longer worry about transporting fishlings which earlier fishes would die halfway,” Kharbuki said. He said the van would be able to transport about 3 to 4 lakh fishlings.
Tynsong also thanked the department for its support ever since he started fish farming in 2012. He said his plan to spend about 40 lakh for construction of more fishing ponds was hampered by the current Covid-19 pandemic but hoped that through the support of the fisheries department things will move in the right direction.
