The State in general and Kashmir region in particular has plenty of water bodies and varieties of fish are reared in them. Besides big lakes of Dal, Nagin, Anchar and Wular, there are innumerable streams that empty themselves in River Jhelum where varieties of fish are grown. However, Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the State, had developed taste for rearing trout fish which has been recognized world over as making the tastiest cuisine. For this purpose he had selected a twenty kilometer heritage trout rearing stream flowing from Sakhdas to Nanil in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. In its heyday the fishery produced millions of trout fish. Apart from that, during the rule of the Maharaja, the site was developed with structures raised on both ends of the trout rearing stream. Lawns were provided for recreation and for tourist destination.
However, the fishery has lost its shine and its glaze. The floods of 2014 have blocked the arteries from which water flowed into the stream and the trout fish would be reared. As the stream dried up, vandals had a free for all. They encroached upon the land, raised houses and shops on the bank of the stream which at one time was 80 feet wide has shrunk to bare 6 feet wide dry nullah in which refuse and garbage are dumped. Only the name has remained and the faint memory with older folks who tell the attractive stories of how the fishery was flourishing and had become a tourist destination. While the Department of Tourism is spending hundreds of millions of rupees on the expansion of tourism in the state, why should it not take steps to revive the old and attractive fishery we are talking about? We are amused that the Department of Fisheries has not paid attention to the defunct fishery and has no plans of reviving it. It is a sad commentary.
We earnestly desire the Fisheries Department to take up the case of revival of this fishery and its restoration to previous glory and prosperity. Actually a plan of its revival should be formulated by two departments in mutual consultation meaning the Department of Fisheries and of Tourism.
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