The Tripura government has constructed 443 earthen check dams since 2022 in Dhalai and North Tripura districts under the Indo-German Development Cooperation (IGDC) initiative, an official confirmed on Saturday.
According to S. Prabhu, Project Director of IGDC in Tripura, the total target is 645 check dams, out of which 443 have been completed. These structures have been built to regulate water flow, reduce soil erosion, and promote sustainable forest management.
Prabhu said that 427 of the completed dams are suitable for fish farming, covering 126 villages across the two districts. He added that fingerlings of rohu, catla, grass carp, mrigal carp, and common carp, along with fish feed, lime, and nets, are being distributed with approval from KfW, the German agency supporting the project.
Tripura’s fish production was 83,000 metric tonnes in 2023, compared to 82,000 MT in 2022, but the state still faces a shortfall of about 31,000 MT against a demand of 1.17 lakh MT. The gap continues to be met through imports from outside the state and Bangladesh.
The ₹280-crore project, launched in 2020, will continue for seven years.