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SESSION-12 : Integrated Management of Water Quality and Quantity
with Ecosystem Approach
PAPER-5: Sustainable Management of Biotic Resources in the Wetlands
of North Bihar, India
Vidyanath Jha
| Abstract |
North Bihar, criss-crossed by a large number of shifting rivers, is known for its chaurs (land depressions), mauns (ox-bow lakes), and other wetlands of various hues. These water bodies serve as the life line of the region by maintaining the ground water table and meeting the requirements of drinking and irrigation. Besides, all these wetlands constitute the reservoirs of fisheries and a diverse group of aquaphytes and help meet the energy and protein demands of the suffering humanity in far-off flood ridden localities.
North Bihar wetlands are ideal sites for cultivating gorgon nut, water chestnut and a host of other subsidiary food and fodder plants. Euryale ferox Salib. ( Makhana ) is the foremost aquatic macrophyte grown as a cash crop in the non-calcareous Kosi-Kamala belt. The plant is known for its starch and protein content. It forms the basis of livelihood to thousands of fishing families. Fish farmers, normally of Banpar sub-caste are well versed in harvesting Makhana seeds from the pond bottom. The process being an arduous one, the fishermen from this area are hired for this purpose in lower Assam beels , which also grow this crop in semi-wild state.
Makhana growing wetlands in north Bihar also yield a sizable proportion of air-breathing fishes. Of late, there has been an increasing awareness for harnessing their productivity at an optimum level under concurrent and rotational methods of integrated aquaculture with carp fishes as well. Recent years have witnessed Makhana being grown under rotational cropping with arable crops like wheat and potato. This practice is getting popular in the flood- ravaged Saharsa district, which has a high water table and bamboo borings have made it possible to procure irrigation water at a relatively low cost. Integrating aquaculture alongwith these aquaphytes could help augment the wetland productivity to its optimum.
The paper takes into account certain avenues suggesting better utilisation of north Bihar wetlands.
| Address: |
Department of Botany,
C.M.Science College,
Darbhanga – 846004. India.
Phone: 06272-30918.
Fax: 06272-22880
E-mail: vidyaarunjha@rediffmail.com