Context:

• Budget 2026-27 announced integrated development of fisheries across 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars to enhance fish farmers' income and strengthen market access through farmer-producer organisations and cooperatives.
• This initiative is rooted in India's remarkable growth as the world's second-largest fish producer, with national fish production reaching a record 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
• This article highlights the growing importance of fisheries in reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars, examining their role in enhancing fish production, boosting rural livelihoods, and strengthening India’s Blue Revolution under the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.

India's Fisheries Sector — A Snapshot

• India is the second largest fish producer and second largest aquaculture producer globally.
• Fish production has increased by 106% since 2013-14.
• 75% of fish production comes from inland fisheries — freshwater, brackish, and saline water resources.
• Reservoirs spread over 31.50 lakh hectares contribute approximately 18 lakh tonnes of fish production.

Reservoirs — The Backbone of Inland Fisheries

• Geographic Distribution
  • Located primarily in eastern, central, and peninsular India.
  • Madhya Pradesh has the maximum area under reservoirs (~6 lakh hectares).
  • Tamil Nadu has the highest number of reservoirs (over 8,000).
  • These reservoirs provide direct and indirect employment to millions of farmers, especially in economically backward and water-scarce regions.
• Classification of Reservoirs
  • Small - Less than 1,000 hectares
  • Medium - Up to 5,000 hectares
  • Large - More than 5,000 hectares

Rise in Fish Productivity — Key Drivers

• Fish productivity in reservoirs has doubled from 50 kg/hectare (2006) to 100 kg/hectare This has been achieved through:
  • Cage Culture Technology — Use of floating or stationary cages made of synthetic netting, allowing natural water flow for oxygen and nutrient exchange, and enabling easier feeding, monitoring, and disease management.
  • Quality Seed Stocking — Indian major carps (Catla, Rohu, Mrigal) form the core species, supplemented by Tilapia and Pangasius based on local needs.
  • Flagship Schemes — Blue Revolution (BR) and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) have provided budgetary support and capacity building.
• Success Story — Jharkhand
  • Bimal Chandra Oran, a fish farmer from Saraikela district, adopted cage aquaculture in the Chandil reservoir under a cooperative society.
  • With subsidised inputs and capacity-building training, he now produces three tonnes of fish annually, achieving a turnover of over ₹3 lakh.

Future Potential and the Value Chain Approach

• An ICAR-CIFRI study envisions aquaculture productivity can be tripled — from 100 kg to 300 kg per hectare.
• To achieve this, experts recommend a value chain approach encompassing:
  • Setting up hatcheries, feed mills, and storage sheds
  • Ice plants, berthing platforms, and auction centres
  • Marketing retail outlets, refrigerated trucks, and boats

Cluster-Based Strategy by NFDB

• The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) is implementing a cluster-based strategy for end-to-end solutions in reservoir ecosystems.
• A reservoir cluster has been announced for Halalai and Indra Sagar dams in Madhya Pradesh as a pilot, focusing on identifying sectoral gaps in production, productivity, and processing, and aggregating farmers through cooperatives and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs).
• This model will be replicated across other states and UTs.

Mission Amrit Sarovar — Complementary Initiative

• Implemented with the vision of conserving surface and underground water through district ponds.
• Each Amrit Sarovar is designed with a minimum one-acre pondage area and a holding capacity of 10,000 cubic metres.
• A key innovation is community participation through user group mapping for pond management.
• Success Story: The Amrit Sarovar at Dine Dite Rijo, Upper Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh has been successfully used for stocking and aquaculture of ornamental fishes.

Conclusion

• Harnessing fisheries in reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars supports the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision by empowering fishing communities and strengthening India’s Blue Revolution.