Diglipur, Nov. 10: The ICAR-KVK N&M Andaman (CIARI) organized a five-days skill development training program on “Importance of Water Quality Management in Aquaculture: Best management Practices and Strategies for Sustainable Fish Farming” from November 4 - 8, 2024, at community hall of Radhanagar Gram Panchayat, Diglipur in collaboration with Fisheries Substation, Diglipur of Department of Fisheries, A & N Administration. This initiative was designed to inspire and empower rural farming communities in the district to engage in freshwater fish farming, enhancing their understanding of water quality management practices for sustainable aquaculture and broadening economic opportunities.

The training program was inaugurated by Smt. Nilima Sammdar, Pradhan in the presence of Shri. Bikah Roy, Sarpanch of Radhanagar Gram Panchayat. In her inaugural address, Smt. Nilima Sammdar expressed her happiness and lauded the efforts of KVK and ICAR- CIARI for organizing such training program for the benefit of farming communities and motivated the farmers and farm women to adopt fish farming practices with scientific manner in their existing farms to get maximum returns. Dr. V. Damodaran, Sr. Scientist & Head, KVK highlighted the potential of the aquaculture sector in the North and Middle Andaman district particularly with Indian major carp species (Catla, Rohu, and Mrigal) to improve food security and generate economic opportunities. He stressed the need to adopt best practices and advanced technologies to boost productivity and ensure sustainable growth.

During the technical sessions, Shri Subham Debroy, SMS (Fisheries Science) from ICAR-KVK, North & Middle Andaman, highlighted the importance of water quality in fish farming. He explained that dissolved oxygen is crucial for fish respiration, and low levels can cause stress or death. pH, temperature, and salinity directly affect fish health and growth, while hardness and alkalinity are essential for skeletal development and pH stability. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels can be toxic or interfere with oxygen transport, harming fish. Proper management of these parameters ensures a healthy pond environment, supports fish growth, and sustains farm productivity.

Dr. Vijay Prasad, Fisheries Inspector, provided an overview of various sustainable fish farming methods and offered detailed insights into the PMSSY schemes. He explained how these schemes support farmers in adopting sustainable practices and improving fish farming techniques.

Later, Shri Subham Debroy and his team conducted hands-on training for the participants, focusing on effective pond management in aquaculture. They guided the trainees through practical activities, including measuring dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity, total hardness, total alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in aquaculture water samples. The team also demonstrated various remedies for addressing imbalances in these parameters, ensuring optimal water quality for sustainable fish farming. Earlier, Dr. Vijay Prasad welcomed the gathering and provided an overview of the training program. The program was organized under the overall guidance of Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director of ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair. About 35 rural youths participated and benefited from the training.