Jamshedpur, July 4: The success of prawn project in Ranchi district last year has boosted the state government to implement it in East Singhbhum district.

Keeping in mind the rising demand of prawn in the district, the district fishery department has decided to breed prawns through its new prawn culture project. And while the department plans to diversify from pisciculture into prawn culture, tribals in the district would be the direct beneficiaries of the new project.

According to the district fishery officer, Vinod Kumar Singh, 20 tribal families in the district have been identified for the first phase of the prawn culture project in East Singhbhum.

The department embarked upon the project in view of the increasing demand of prawns among consumers and the high returns it would bring to the breeders. ?This state government project was run on a pilot basis in the Ranchi district last year and it gave extremely profitable results. On the same lines, we selected the families, who had no alternative source of sustenance for the first phase of project in the district,? Singh said.

To initiate work, the department, after selecting the families from Potka, Patamda, Jamshedpur and Chakulia have dug up the ponds for them.

?These ponds, which are close to their homes, will be the breeding ground for the prawns. These ponds have been dug free of cost and the infrastructure, from the eggs of the prawn to its feed, will be provided by the department,? said the officer.

While pisciculture is being practised on a large scale in the district, this is the first attempt to introduce prawn culture. And for all the 20 tribal families the new project would be clubbed along with the good old pisciculture.

This means that the tribals would be breeding the more famous Rohu, Katla and Mrigal fish along with the large prawns.

The department is no gearing up to impart training to breed prawns and the other more common fishes for the tribals.

Once the prawn culture catches up, the department would eventually introduce the exotic breeds like grass carp, silver carp and common carp to the tribals. The department estimates that since prawns sell upto almost Rs 200 per kilogram, the tribals are likely to benefit immensely from the project.

Singh is confident of a healthy turnover because almost 80 to 90 per cent of the fish production is done in the Potka and Patamda areas and the sector is more organised in these areas. He added that Kharkai and Subarnarekha accounted for only 10 per cent of the fishes in the market.

The groundwork for the project, due to start within the financial year 2005-2006 in the district is almost over. ?The ponds have been dug and once monsoons are over, we will begin our supplies of prawn eggs to the tribal families,? Singh said.