Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will now encourage people, particularly the local unemployed youths, to take up fish farming in the ponds. “We have already taken up the task of renovation of the waterbodies in the city. Our aim is to rope in the local unemployed youths to take up fish farming in these ponds. We hope that this will help us to bring down the tendency to fill up waterbodies for commercial purposes. It will also help in increasing fish production and supply to the local market will also keep the price in check,” member mayor-in-council (environment) Swapan Samaddar said.

The KMC will soon initiate talks with the fisheries department to join them in this endeavour. The government has been taking strong action against filling up of waterbodies. But officials feel that legal action against an offender cannot stop the tendency of filling up of waterbodies.

“If we can ensure employment for youths through fish cultivation, then the practice of filling up ponds or wetlands will come down automatically,” an official said.

According to the Fisheries Act, a person willing to take up fish cultivation will have to pay a certain amount to the fisheries department. “We are contemplating to bring an amendment in the Act so that this amount is reduced. This will encourage people in fish farming,” he said, adding KMC will also rope in the local councillor in this endeavour.

The KMC has already made a list of waterbodies in the city and has found out that there are more than 3,500 such waterbodies that includes personal property as well.

The renovation of a waterbody involves Rs 10-12 lakh on an average. However, in case of large waterbodies, it can go up to nearly Rs 1 crore.