U.P. expands fisheries push with Gram Sabha ponds and river leasing

Uttar Pradesh is widening its fisheries programme by bringing community water bodies and stretches of river into organised production, with the aim of making the sector a core source of rural livelihood.

According to the State government, more than 80,000 hectares of Gram Sabha ponds and 2,205 km of rivers have been brought under leasing. The move is intended to put local water resources to productive use while generating income at the village level.

The expansion has been accompanied by a sharp rise in output. Fish production in the State has grown from 6.29 lakh tonnes to 15.90 lakh tonnes over eight years, according to official figures.

The strategy rests on three categories of water bodies — Gram Sabha ponds, reservoirs and rivers — with leasing positioned as the main route to commercial utilisation. By drawing these resources into the fisheries economy, the State expects gains in rural employment and household earnings alongside higher production.

Gram Sabha ponds, managed at the community level, form the largest share of the area brought under leasing so far. The river stretches add a second, longer-term resource base to the programme.