Fishermen rejoice as Hilsa shoals return to Kolaghat after river dredging

Shoals of Hilsa have started appearing in the Rupnarayan River near Kolaghat in Purba Medinipur, bringing renewed hope to local fishermen after months of dredging work aimed at increasing the river’s depth. Fishermen reported on Monday morning that Hilsa shoals have begun entering the river even before the monsoon, a development that has created excitement among the local fishing community.

According to fishermen, dredging has been carried out in the river for the past several months to remove accumulated silt and improve water depth. As a result, Hilsa from the sea are now able to enter the river more easily, leading to the reappearance of shoals that had become rare in recent years.

Local fishing boats are currently catching an average of eight to ten kilograms of Hilsa each day. The fish are fetching good prices in local markets, with traders selling them for around ₹1,400 to ₹1,600 per kilogram. Some traders say recent catches have reached 10 to 15 kilograms, with individual fish weighing between one and 1.2 kilograms.

Fishing experts believe the river’s natural ecosystem is helping the revival. Former fisheries officer Surajit Bag explained that the Rupnarayan River contains abundant zooplankton and phytoplankton, which serve as ideal food for Hilsa. With the river becoming deeper and cleaner due to dredging, the environment has once again become favourable for the fish, raising hopes that Kolaghat may gradually regain its old reputation for Hilsa in the coming years.