A CORRESPONDENT
NAGAON: The decade-long tradition of community fishing inside Kaziranga National Park (KNP) has been banned this Magh Bihu as it pauses a threat to the park's safety, security and biodiversity.
A source in Nagaon administration on Tuesday said that the local administration and the forest department would ensure constant vigil in the national park area to stop all kinds of fishing in the water bodies inside the park on Uruka.
Community fishing on Uruka in the water bodies of the national park is a traditional custom. Till last year, the local administration as well as the park authority allowed villagers to do community fishing on that day. A day before Uruka, thousands of fishermen gather inside the national park for fishing. People from neighbouring districts queues inside the national park to purchase fish on that particular day.
"For most of the well-to-do families of the State, a fish from Kaziranga is an unavoidable item of the Uruka feast because of its taste and quality. The park's fish has a separate market in Guwahati and Dimapur. This is for the first time that fishing on Magh Bihu Uruka is officially prohibited," said a local Koliabor villager.
Major water bodies inside the national park where community fishing is done include Dipholoo river and three water bodies- Potahi, Roumari and Sitolmari.
On Monday, Nagaon administration imposed ban on trafficking any fishing equipments, gathering of people in the banks of the water bodies under Section 144 CrPC. Those found involved in such activity will 'be punished as per law'.
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