From Kynsai Sangriang
MAWKYRWAT: A group of fishermen from 12 villages in South West Khasi Hills started an initiative to save indigenous varieties of fish in 2004. Fifteen years on, their endeavour has not only borne fruit but has scripted a new success story named tourism.
In 2004, the fishermen from the villages in Mawthawpdah area formed one organisation known as ‘Mawthawpdah Area Rilang Fishing Association’ (MARFA) to protect local fish like kha-saw (chocolate mahseer), doh main (catfishes), sher syngkai (schistura) and other species in the 10km stretch of the Rilang river, from Tynsom to Sdad Wahsala, from indiscriminate killing.
“In the late 1990s and early 2000s, some villages had tried to protect the river in their own capacity under their jurisdiction. But they found it difficult to fight against those people who just wanted to destroy the fish. So MARFA was born and it has been working relentlessly alongside the administration (erstwhile Mawkyrwat civil sub-division),” MARFA advisor YG Lyngdoh told The Shillong Times.
Lyngdoh said it was a daunting task to man the 10km stretch day and night, especially in February, March and April when the water level would be low.
“The first five years were the most difficult as people were not cooperating but our members volunteered to protect the fish and feed them everyday,” he added.
Several people were caught killing the fish and action was taken against them both by MARFA and the administration.
Another challenge that the group faced was to make people understand the need for preserving fish and environment. Awareness programmes were organised regularly in villages.
“To save the aquatic life, especially the indigenous fish, we needed to have a ‘protected place’ (blanket ban on for fishing) where fish can breed safely. On January 7, 2012, Ursngikyllut Fish Sanctuary was declared open by the Superintendent of Fisheries, West Khasi Hills District,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the association faced a lot of difficulties in those years to ensure that ‘Thwei Ursngikyllut’ became a sanctuary.
Initially, people did not believe that fish would stay in one place in the big river. After years of perseverance, determination and hard work, now the number of indigenous fish in Thwei Ursngikyllut is increasing by the day, Lyngdoh informed.
Today, the Ursngikyllut Fish Sanctuary, located 10km from Mawkyrwat, the district headquarters, has become one of the best tourism destinations in the district. Both domestic and foreign tourists visit the site.
“Now we don’t need to feed the fish everyday because they were fed by the tourists who visit the sanctuary,” Lyngdoh said.
MARFA also has the support of 21 villages in Mawthawpdah area.
The sanctuary has received the state award twice, once in 2014 when it was presented by the then chief secretary WMS Pariat and the second time in 2017 when it was presented by the then chief minister Mukul Sangma.
Lyngdoh said MARFA wanted to extend the sanctuary from ‘Thwei Ursngikyllut’ downstream to ‘Thwei Longtor’.
“We wanted to dam the ‘Thwei Longtor’ to maintain the level of water in the existing sanctuary and the principal secretary in-charge of the Fisheries Department, KN Kumar, had expressed willingness to sanction the project. But we have some problems with the landowners and the Fisheries Department, Mawkyrwat, could not solve the problem till now. So the project is pending,” he added.
MARFA members say that if the project is implemented, then the number of fish will increase, the vulnerability of being targeted by some unscrupulous people will decrease and more importantly, it will attract more tourists.
“We also wanted to make Rohbah village as a ‘village home stay’ by building huts to ensure that tourists have a place to stay because till now there is no guest house in the nearby areas.
At present, one has to bring tent to spend the night,” Lyngdoh said, adding that if the Fisheries Department could support in building a guest house, it will help in promoting tourism in the area.
So far, MARFA has received Rs 4 lakh from the government to build a footpath, a view point and a border sausage dam for the sanctuary.
This has disappointed the members who feel that the amount is less after 15 years of their voluntary service.
The need of the hour is developing infrastructure and appointing a security guard to keep a watch on the sanctuary round the clock.
Lyngdoh said that the objective of MARFA was not only to protect the aquatic life in the rivers and streams under the jurisdiction of the association but also the environment as a whole.
“We used to celebrate World Environment Day and also conducted sapling plantation at Rohbah village as part of the mission to save the environment,” he said.
He appealed to the public and the fishermen to maintain cleanliness and avoid throwing plastic waste and other garbage into the streams or rivers.
MARFA works along with the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong (SRS) Mawthawpdah Area and Wah Rilang Fishing Association with its headquarters at Mawranglang to ensure that its mission to preserve the aquatic life and environment is successful.