Regional

By Sanjay Borkar
Panaji, Nov 6 (IANS) With the Central and state government fostering cage fishing in the sea, Goan fishermen have started to opt for the scheme to save the coastal state from fish famine.


Sheldon Fernandes, an MBA from Candolim in North Goa, has become the first entrepreneur in the state to start an open sea cage farm under Goa State Mariculture Policy.

Talking to IANS, Fernandes said that he ventured into this new format to get experience and grow into it. "This is the first time that I am doing fish farming. For this, I have studied and taken training on the whole process. This encouraged me to take up this task and achieve success," he said.

"At present, we have five cages. I got full support from the Central and state government by subsidies. This has helped us to venture into this business."

Fernandes said that his family was in traditional fishing and they are handling cage farming for the very first time. "We want to try this whole system, because unless, we try it, we won't get knowledge of it," he said.

The cage frames, made of galvanised iron, have a diameter of 6 metres and fishes are cultured inside a net with depth of 5 metre tied to the cage frame.

"These cages are floated into the sea and fully netted, so fish from outside do not come in and fish which are growing inside the cage will not go out," Fernandes said.

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Karwar has been integrated in the said project.

Seeing the huge potential in mariculture activity, Goa became the first state in India to notify a policy to augment fish production through fish culture in cages.

It is trying to encourage more youth to get into this business, which would help the state and people of Goa to get fresh fish.

Goa Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar had urged the youths to enter it and become self-reliant.

He had earlier said the Central government has sanctioned Rs 400 crore for setting up cage fishing infrastructure to boost the coastal state's catch of fish.

Though 2,475 boats and 897 trawlers are registered with the Fisheries Department for fishing activities, fish in Goa is also brought from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra also. This is to meet demand from the people of the state and by the eight million plus tourists who visit Goa every year.

Fearing that a fish famine could pose a serious threat to the availability of the staple food of the coastal state, the Goa government, apart from notifying the "Goa State Mariculture Policy 2020" to carry out open sea cage fish culture, has also urged the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to suggest adoption of modern methods for production of fish.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has urged the scientists and students of the NIO to suggest ways to increase fish productivity by adopting modern methods.

The NIO has played a vital role in increasing the production of green mussels in Goa, by training stakeholders.

--IANS
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By Haresh Jhala
Gandhinagar, Nov 6 (IANS) The earlier perception was that the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) would contest only in Muslim-dominated areas of Gujarat to target the Congress's support. But with its move to field Kaushika Parmar on Ahmedabad's Danilimda (reserved for Scheduled Castes) seat, it indicates that the party also has its eye on the Congress's Dalit constituency too.


However, the AIMIM denied any such plans.

"The party is planning to contest 30 Assembly seats that includes Muslims, Dalits, tribal and even general-dominated seats. When a party is in the election fray, it can't have designed that its candidate will dent X or Y party's vote bank... people will vote for our party and candidates," AIMIM spokesman Danish Kureshi told IANS.

There are 13 reserved seats for Scheduled Caste, and in the 2017 elections, the BJP had won seven and the Congress five, while one went to a Congress-supported Independent.

The AIMIM's fielding of Parmar from Danilimda is an example of how the party is planning to cut into Dalit and Muslim votes in the seat from where Congress' Sailesh Parmar was elected in the last two elections.

The party has declared candidates for Jamalpur-Khadia, Surat (East), Limbayat, and Bapunagar, and the caste equations suggest its entry into the contest on these seats directly benefits the BJP.

Congress's Dasada MLA Naushad Solanki said: "We are prepared for this, we were aware in advance that the AAP and the AIMIM will nominate candidates on seats, where Congress is winning since long and BJP can't make inroads... earlier, they were getting Independent candidates (to stand against Congress), now these are being replaced by the AAP and the AIMIM, but people have realised why these parties are interested in elections, so this strategy to sabotage prospects is not going to work this time."

A month and half ago, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had addressed a public rally in the Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district, but it seems to have had a little influence on voters. "It is true that good numbers of Muslims has attended the rally, but even if AIMIM fields candidate on Kodinar seat of Gir-Somnath district, it will fail miserably to dent the Congress vote bank," said sitting Congress MLA Mohanlal Vala.

According to political observers, the AIMIM can field its candidate on Scheduled Caste reserved seats like Gadhada, Asarva, Vadgam, Kadi, Gandhidham, and Vadodara city, where the BJP feels there is a tough fight. To divide Muslim votes, it will nominate candidates on Bhuj, Abdasa, Mandvi, Jamnagar rural, Mangrol, Junagadh, Dhoraji, Umreth Khambhaliya, Somnath, Surat-West, Bharuch, and Jambusar seats.

--IANS
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Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) In another case of people fleeing from Sri Lanka due to the high cost of living and unemployment in the island nation, 10 more Sri Lankan Tamils reached Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district in the early hours of Saturday.

They were accommodated at the refugee camp in Ramanathapuram after questioning at the Mandapam police station.

The refugees are M. Jayakumar (45) from Mannar district, his wife Yogeshwari (39), their daughters Tamilmathi (22) and Kanimathi (15); R. Pushpam (64) and her son Prabakar (43) from Mullai Theevu; R. Justin (42), his wife Ausiyu (36) and their children Anshika (3) and Anjitha (three months).

Speaking to mediapersons at Dhanushkodi, Justin said, "Even though price rise was there in Sri Lanka, after the economic crisis, jobs became a rarity. Feeding children and dependents became difficult there."

Justin said that he and his family members, including two toddlers and his wife Ausiya, decided to sell their silverware and a gold chain to a pawnbroker to raise money for their travel expenses to reach Dhanushkodi.

Another refugee, Pushpam, said that she had no option but to pay money to the boatman and reach Dhanushkodi.

She said that sugar is being sold at 300 Sri Lankan rupees per kg, whiel rice costs 250 SLR per kg.

"Jobs are not available after the crisis, and even if we get a job, we are not even able to buy 100 gm sugar. I have a 43-year-old son who is mentally unstable and life was miserable there. I somehow sold all my belongings, raised 50,000 SLR as boatman's charge and reached Dhanushkodi," Pushpam said.

The refugees are now settled at the Mandapam rehabilitation camp in Dhanushkodi.

The total number of refugees from Sri Lanka who have reached the camp has touched 199 now.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Nov 5 (IANS) Five madrasa students, aged 12 to 14 years, drowned to death after they jumped into a lake for a swim in Telangana's Medchal district on Saturday.

Their teacher, who tried to save them, also lost his life in the incident which took place in the Jawahar Nagar police station limits of the district.

All the victims belonged to a madrasa in Hyderabad. According to the police, a group of 25 students and four teachers had gone on a trip to a madrasa in Jawahar Nagar in Medchal district.

During the visit, some students went to the lake for a swim. The victims drowned when they ventured too deep into the lake.

The bodies have been fished out of the water and sent to Hyderabad for post-mortem.

--IANS
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Shillong, Nov 5 (IANS) The three-day 'Rising Sun Water Festival 2022' culminated with a grand closing ceremony at the Umiam Lake near Shillong on Saturday.

The water sports and cultural extravaganza was the first of its kind in the Northeast aimed at encouraging the sports-loving youth of the region to take up water sports like rowing and sailing. It also aimed at promoting tourism in the Northeast.

The festival was organised by the Indian Army's Eastern Command along with the governments of Assam and Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma set the ball rolling by opening the maiden regatta on November 3, an occasion which was marked by colourful festivities and cultural performances by note artistes.

The three-day event was witnessed by a large number of viewers, locals as well as outstation visitors, who enjoyed the keen contests in a number of races in rowing and sailing, a novelty in the region.

Twenty-two clubs from across the country took part in the event. The rowing trophy was won by the team from Director General of the Assam Rifles (DGAR), which secured one gold and one silver. The sailing trophy was clinched by the Yatching Club of Hyderabad, which secured three gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was the chief guest for the closing ceremony, which was attended by Lieutenant General R.P. Kalita, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command, and many other dignitaries.

--IANS
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Davanagere, Nov 5 (IANS) Karnataka BJP MLA M.P. Renukacharya on Saturday expressed displeasure over "negligence" by the police department in handling the death case of his nephew Chandrashekar.

"If the son (Renukacharya calls his nephew as his son) of MLA can't be given protection, what will be common men's plight?" Renukacharya said.

His nephew Chandrashekar's decomposed body was recovered from a canal on Thursday.

The police department maintained that the incident had happened due to over speeding of the car. While, suspicions were raised on Chandrashekar being kidnapped and murdered.

Talking to mediapersons, Renukacharya said: "It is a pre-planned murder. My son has been brutally tortured and killed. The negligence of the police department is clearly visible."

"My party workers and supporters had used drone cameras. They have detected the car. All this is being done by people of my constituency. Police did not do any of it. I am not saying it, people are talking about it," he added.

If the deceased Chandrashekar's soul has to rest in peace, the investigation of the case has to be conducted appropriately. Chandrashekar was growing as my successor in Honnali assembly constituency, he stated.

Renukacharya maintained that "One Kiran was with Chandrashekar, our supporters. The truth has to come out. I am maintaining calm. Don't try to provoke me."

"I got life threats one year ago. I had spoken about it with local police. They should have investigated the matter. Security should have been tightened. No security was given," he charged the police department.

Renukacharya maintained that the miscreants had killed his nephew at a different place and dumped his body with the car into the canal.

Renukacharya also stated that the hands of his nephew were tied. BJP workers have also expressed their displeasure over the handling of the case by the police department. The police have taken up further investigation.

Chandrashekar, 24, had gone missing on Sunday. It was suspected that he was kidnapped.

Acting on information provided by Renukacharya's supporters, the police had found Chandrashekar's car inside the canal on November 3. After lifting the car with the crane, the decomposed body of the young man was found.

--IANS
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Panaji, Nov 3 (IANS) With installation of a solar panel on one of the fishing trawlers in Goa, the state government has decided to seek help from the Centre over fitting such devices on the trawlers.

Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar after inaugurating the solar panel system said it will benefit trawler owners.

"There is a need to generate power. The solar system on trawler will help this community to save on fuel. In future we will try to meet the union power ministry to seek help for fishing trawlers," Dhavalikar said.

Minister for Fisheries Nilkanth Halarnkar told IANS that if this system works properly on trawlers, the government in future will try to seek subsidy for it.

"This particular trawler owner has installed this solar system at his own cost. If this experiment gives positive results then we will think of expanding it to others with the help of the central government," Halarnkar said.

There are around 897 trawlers registered with the fisheries department.

Though the engine of the trawler will not run on the solar power, however, the water pump and other usages are done using these solar panels, which helps to save on diesel cost.

--IANS
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Chennai, Nov 3 (IANS) Members of three mosques of Coimbatore visited the Sangameswarar temple in Ukkadam street, where a car blast on October 23 killed a 25-year-old youth, to promote communal harmony.

Jameesha Mubin, the 25-year-old engineering graduate, died after the car in which he was travelling burst into flames near the temple. Police and Central agencies probing the investigation stated that the deceased was planning for a lone wolf act to cause maximum damage.

A delegation from the Coimbatore District Federation of All Jamaat Ulemas from three mosques in Kottaimedu visited the Sangameswarar temple on Thursday. The group included clergy from Idhayathul Islam Shafia Jamaat, Thareekathul Islam Shafia Jamaat and Kerala Muslim Jamaat to hold a discussion with the executive officer of the temple, V. Prabhakaran.

The general secretary of the federation, Haji M.A. Inayatuallah, after the visit told media persons that the visit was aimed at improving communal harmony following the car blast and death of Jameesha Mubin.

He said that Muslims have been living in the area for more than seven generations and that people were having excellent personal rapport and relationships cutting across community or religious lines.

Inayatullah also said that they had recollected their childhood days with temple priests when all of them had played football and cricket together. He said that on behalf of the federation, he condemned the car blast and said that they have directed all Muslims who are seeking houses on rent to get the clearance of the Jamaat for prior approval.

The Coimbatore District Federation of All Jamaat and Ulemas called upon the people to maintain communal harmony and not to have any communal enmity against people of other religions.

Coimbatore has been a communally sensitive town. On February 14, 1998, bomb blast occurred at 12 places in 11 locations of the town. The serial explosion led to the death of 56 people and injured more than 200 people. The blasts were aimed at the then Deputy Prime Minister, Lal Krishna Advani, who escaped unhurt as his flight arrived late in the city.

The main architect of the blasts was S.A. Basha, founder, and leader of Al- Umma, an Islamist organisation, In the Coimbatore car blast, one of the six accused who is in jail, Mohammed Talha, is the son of Nawab Khan who is the brother of S.A. Basha.

While speaking to IANS, the priest of the Sangameshwar temple at Kottaimedu where the Muslim ulema paid a visit on Thursday, said, "This was a good gesture on the part of the Coimbatore district federation of all Jamaat and Ulema and let us hope that communal harmony prevails in our place. We had all been seeing each other for several years and are having a good personal rapport."

--IANS
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Panaji, Nov 3 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik on Thursday said drug menace is the main reason behind the crimes taking place in the tourist areas in the coastal state of Goa.

He said that things which malign the name of the nation and the state by harassing tourists should be stopped.

"Drugs are the main reason for the crimes happening in tourist areas of Goa. Drugs should be curbed. The government has put steps to curb it and the central government will help," he said.

Speaking to IANS, Naik said that state government has taken best steps to act against touts and central government is supporting it.

"Tourists should not be harassed. Crimes happening in the tourism area are because of drugs," he said.

The police in Goa have also started taking action on drug trade in the state by conducting raids.

Goa's Tourism Department on Monday had directed police to take action against illegal activities including touting, begging and cooking of food in open spaces and littering of areas in all tourist places.

Naik, appreciating this decision of state government, said that he supports such action.

The Tourism Department on Monday issued an order and asked police to take action under Section 13 of Goa Tourist Places Protection and Maintenance Act, 2001.

It has said that such illegal activities have damaged and deteriorated or are likely to damage or deteriorate the tourism potentiality of the tourist places.

The Tourism Department has declared activities of operation of all Boating/Water Sports Activities from areas other than those permitted as nuisance.

Activities pertaining to begging of 'alms' in all tourist places, selling of items or goods from unauthorised hand-carts or movable carts and unauthorised hawkers are also termed as nuisance.

"Violator of order shall be punishable with fine of Rs 5,000, which may extend up to Rs 50,000 or shall be liable for action under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code," it further said.

--IANS
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Chennai, Nov 3 (IANS) The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in some southern districts of Tamil Nadu on Friday.

As per the weather department, the districts that are likely to be affected by this heavy rainfall, are - Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Sivaganga and Myladuthurai.

In a statement on Thursday, the IMD officials said that an upper cyclonic circulation that lies over south Tamil Nadu and its neighbourhood and extends up to upper tropospheric areas is expected to bring in rains.

The Met department said that during the last 24 hours, Sirkali had recorded extremely heavy rain - 22 cm rainfall. Seven locations in the state recorded very heavy rainfall and 20 places had heavy rainfall.

The IMD in the state said that the state had been receiving very good northeast monsoon since it hit Tamil Nadu on October 29.

The Met department also said that many places in the state are expected to receive light to moderate rains with thunderstorms and lighting till November 7.

The weathermen also predicted cloudy weather conditions for Chennai and adjacent districts in the next 24 hours.

--IANS
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