1.1 Bellary District is endowed with vast natural resources for Inland FISHERIES Development. The District has 145 Irrigation Tanks with a Water Spread Area of 7951.00 Hectors,3Reserviors with a Water Spread Area of 3930 Hectors,2rivers with a length of 210 km. and 340 km. length of Irrigation canals. The T.B. Project as well as many other lift Irrigation schemes on the up stream and down stream of the T.B Reservoir, T.B. River, Hagari river and major stream in the District Irrigation about 2.50 lakh Hector of land. In the T.B. Command Area of Bellary District about 20000 Hectors of Irrigated land has become Saline and Water Logged which is unfit for Agriculture and can be brought back to commercial use by excavating fish ponds and taking up fish culture. There is a Fishermen population of 40624 in the District out of them 12407 people are full time active fishermen.

1.2 The Zilla Panchayat Bellary has introduced several schemes to achieve the objectives of enhanced fish production which is a protein rich cheap animal protein to feed under nourished rural as well as urban population and also to provide employment and income generation activities to the rural population belonging to the socially and economically weaker section of the society. The tanks/reservoirs and other water bodies are leased on long term basis to the registered Fisheries Co-.Operative Societies /youth Clubs and Mahila Mandals are encouraged to take up composite fish culture. Apart from imparting training, quality fish fingerlings are supplied for development of the water bodies to enhance fish, fish Fingerlings are supplied for the development of the water bodies to enhance fish production and to provide employment in fish catching , marketing, fish preservation etc.,

1.3 Fish Farming is being encouraged in the private irrigation Lands in the Tungabhadra Command Area by giving incentives such as subsidy and training. During the last 5 years 120 fish culture ponds have come up with a total water spread area of 300 acres in Bellary District. Fish production to the tone of 2 to 3.5 tons per acre per crop is being harvested. Most of the fishponds are excavated in saline and water logged areas of the T,.B. Command area which is unfit for Agriculture, thereby converting the fallow lands in to commercial use. The bagging of the state level awards for highest fish production, the first prize of Rs.25000/- and the third prize of Rs.10000/-by the fish farmers of Bellary District during 1995-96 first and second prizes of Rs.25000/-and Rs.15000/-with citations during 1996-97 and second prize and third prize during 1997-98 second prize and third prize during 1998-99 indicates the growing awareness and tremendous scope for Inland Fish Farming in Bellary District.

1.4 To uplift the Socio-economic conditions of the fishermen in Bellary District, 13 fisheries co-operative societies have been organised and tanks, reservoirs, and river stretches are being leased on long term basis to these societies and quality fish fingerlings are being supplied by the Zilla Panchayat Bellary to develop fisheries and loans are being provided top the societies for the purchase of fisheries requisites like Net, Boats, etc., under Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan schemes fishing equipment worth Rs.3000/- are provided at 100% subsidy basis and also tanks are provided to a group of S.C.P and T.S.P beneficiaries at nominal lease and fish fingerlings and fishing equipment are supplied on subsidy basis to provide employment and income generation to the beneficiaries.

1.5 During the year 1999-2000 by disposal of fishery rights of 130 tanks, 2 river stretches and 2 reservoirs (excluding T.B. Reservoir) by tender cum auction and lease to fisheries co- operative societies a revenue of Rs.854291-00 is realised and by sale of fish seed to fish farmers a revenue of Rs. 264269-00 is realised . Hence all together a total revenue of Rs. 1118560-00 is realised to the government.

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