Originally planned as a chemical hub during the Left Front regime, Nayachar a fishing island off the coast of Haldia in East Midnapore, is now ready for power generation and aquaculture.
The state government hopes that the project will create jobs for residents while also increasing tourist traffic.
The Bengal government has commenced this project because the industries that are emerging in this region are not labor-intensive which has created an interesting situation.
Coastal regulations require Nayachar to be used for sustainable development because it is an “eco-fragile zone” with “sensitive soil conditions.” In other words, there can be no major construction on the island, which is why the state government intends to promote aquaculture.
Aquaculture, also known as aqua-farming, is the controlled cultivation of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, algae, and other valuable water organisms such as aquatic plants.
A modular fish park will be built on a 40-square-kilometer plot of land. There could be up to 75 modules. The government will be keeping 50 modules for itself, while the remaining 25 will be distributed among private organizations. According to sources, the project would be a completely export-oriented unit and provide employment majority of unskilled and semi-skilled workers.
The government now wants to take things a step further by restoring existing aquaculture farms and establishing new ones. If everything goes as planned, Nayachar could become the country’s next major eco-tourism destination.
