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Addressing Sustainable Development Goal 5: An initiative by ICAR-CIFRI at Sagar Island, Sundarbans

Barrackpore, 13 ^th October, 2023
Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. SDG 5 is focussed on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. The goal aims to end discrimination, violence, and harmful practices based on gender, ensuring equal opportunities in leadership, education, and employment for women. Moreover, the International Women Day’s theme for the year 2023 is “Accelerating Equality & Empowerment”. In this perspective, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) has taken up “Mission 3000” i.e to adopt 3000 women across the country under SCSP/TSP/NEH scheme to empower them economically in the year 2023-24. In this regard, an initiative was taken to address SDG 5 by creating awareness and distributing inputs to the tribal womenfolk at Sagar Island, Sundarbans.

ICAR-CIFRI has been supporting the tribal community, one of the most vulnerable sections of the population of Sagar Island by providing technological inputs for rejuvenating their livelihood through fish farming under the STC programme. In last 10 years, CIFRI has introduced its scientific interventions in Sagar Island in different areas of fish farming like backyard pond culture, canal fisheries and fisheries in derelict waters. These interventions have brought an alternative source of income generation for the beneficiaries leading to a significant enhancement in their annual income.

Under ‘Mission-3000’, CIFRI has organized one awareness and input distribution programme on 13th October, 2023 to support the tribal fisher-women of Kamalpur, Sagar Island, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. In the programme, Shri Bankim Chandra Hazra, Hon’ble Minister-in-Charge, Sundarban Affairs, Govt. of West Bengal graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The Hon’ble Minister not only praised the initiatives and activities of ICAR-CIFRI at Sundarbans but also ensured that any kind of co-operation on his part in future endeavors of CIFRI towards ‘Mission-3000’. He conveyed heartfelt thanks to CIFRI and the Director, Dr. B. K. Das for this initiative. He emphasised that only through the technological intervention and input distribution (fish seed, fish feed and medicine) by ICAR-CIFRI, the fishers of Sundarban are able to produce even table size fish and subsequently, enhancing their income.

Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR- CIFRI emphasized the importance of fisheries in the livelihood of the rural people and also affirmed that CIFRI would extend its support to the tribal fisherwomen of Sagar Island in their fisheries activities for livelihood improvement. Dr. Das has enlightened the fishers regarding plastic pollution and use of pesticides. In this programme, CIFRI distributed fisheries inputs to 252 ST woman-fishers who have backyard ponds with an average area ranging from 0.02 ha to 0.04 ha in their household. All the households belonging to Scheduled Tribe community residing in Sagar Island have been covered in this programme. CIFRI has distributed 6 kg of IMC seeds, 20 kg of lime and 90 kg of fish feed to each beneficiary in this programme under the Scheduled Tribe Component.

This programme was organized in collaboration with a local NGO namely Swami Vivekananda Youth and Cultural Society. Overall, the programme was successfully organized by the CIFRI team comprising scientists, technical staff and research scholars under the leadership of the Director of CIFRI.