The country’s first hospital to treat abnormalities and diseases in fish is set to come up in Kolkata by mid-2015.
The work has already started on the project.
Nearly 60-65 kinds of disease and abnormality were found in fish in India and one reason why West Bengal slipped from the number one position in fish production was due to the fact that 10-20 per cent of them died of diseases.
Such hospitals are quite common in foreign countries.
The institute will not only help fish farmers increase yield by reducing the number of fish deaths, but will also ensure that people will consume healthy fish.
The hospital will have 50 glass aquariums, 25 circular water tanks, each with a capacity of 500 litres, to admit and treat diseased fish.
The hospital will also have a separate well-equipped pathological lab to diagnose various fish diseases.
In cases of abnormality such as, sudden death, change in colour or drastic reduction of weight, they may either contact the hospital or visit it with fish and water samples, fish growers should immediately contact the hospital.
The diseased fish would be kept in aquariums for observation and after ascertaining the disease/abnormality, medicines and tips would be provided to the growers.
The fish hospital, which is funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, under the Union Ministry of Agriculture, will be set up at a cost of Rs five crore.
Nearly Rs 1.7 crore will be spent on hospital construction and the rest on creating infrastructure and lab facilities. Senior scientist T J Abraham is heading the project.
Apart from him, there will be another scientist and both will be assisted by 4-6 research scholars initially.
The hospital would document the diseases affecting fish in Bengal, which will be forwarded to the World Animal Health Organisation, Paris, of which India is a member.
