The recent devastating floods have inflicted an estimated Rs 1,442 crore worth of damage to the fisheries sector, according to a preliminary report released by the State Department of Fisheries. The announcement was made yesterday by Deepa D Nair, Secretary of the Department of Animal Resources, Livestock Development, and Fisheries, during a press conference at the state Secretariat.
Ms. Nair emphasized that fish farmers and the fisheries department have been the hardest hit by the calamity. She indicated that the final assessment of losses might exceed the current estimate of Rs 1,442 crore, as damage reports are still being compiled.
In response to the crisis, the department has launched efforts to provide immediate relief to the affected fishermen under the Prime Minister’s Fisheries Scheme. According to initial findings, the floods have ravaged 16,312 hectares of fish farms, resulting in the loss of 54,483 metric tons of fish and 199.41 million fish fry. Four distinct projects have been initiated to extend support to the impacted fishing communities.
Ms. Nair added that funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) will be utilized, alongside departmental schemes, to offer aid. The government is also implementing several other measures to provide relief to those affected by the floods.
She concluded by stating that officials and field staff are actively assessing the extent of the damage through on-site inspections, working tirelessly to finalize a comprehensive damage report.
