As part of the steps taken by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) to alleviate malnutrition among the tribal community living at Valappur atop Kolli Hills, the foundation has initiated rearing of carp fish in the private and community ponds in a people participatory mode, on Saturday. “Nutrition deficiency diseases such as goitre, anaemia and calcium deficiency are visible among tribals on that hill and it could be brought down by adding fish as part of their diet,” Principal Investigator of the IDRC Alleviation of Poverty and Malnutrition Project of the MSSRF Mr. Siddick Abubacker told The Hindu . It is learnt that there are only two native breeds of fish on that hill and are very small in size. The one that was initiated on Saturday is the first multi-breed carp fish rearing exercise on that hill. He said that this concept has been explained to the community by fisheries scientists attached to this project before the fishlings were released into the water bodies. Nearly 2,000 fishlings were released into the Alavadipatti community pond while 75 fishlings were released into each of the nine private ponds (big wells) near that village. It was released by panchayat president Selvam and the villagers. According to him, four varieties – Katla, Rohu, Mirgal and Grass Carp – have been released into the water bodies and each variety lives in different layers of the pond. Katla lives in the top, Mirgal and Rohu in the middle, while Grass Carp in the bottom of the pond. This enables rearing of more fishlings in the pond to gain weight without disturbing the food cycle of the other. He said that fisheries experts chose to breed the above said breeds after conducting a study on the breeds that would survive the climatic conditions in Kolli Hills. “However, size of fish will be smaller in these ponds compared to the plains,” he observed. Mr. Siddique said that a Fish Farmers Club comprising men and women of that locality has been formed and trained to rear the fish, harvest it at the right time and to sell it to the villagers. The Principal Investigator noted that the fish will be sold at a very nominal price (about half its price in the plains) and will be made available only to villagers living near those ponds. “There are three more community ponds in that area that have gone dry and fishlings will be released into them when water gets collected there. Based on the successful outcome of the project we have plans to have hatcheries to breed fish and distribute fishlings and rear them in ponds to benefit tribal in other hamlets in Kolli Hills,” he concluded.