Inland Fisheries

3.3.3.1 The river Narmada

          The Narmada is a river in central India. It forms the traditional boundary between North India and South India, and is a total of 1,289 km (801 mi) long. Of the major rivers of peninsular India, only the Narmada, the Tapti and the Mahi run from east to west. It rises on the summit of Amarkantak Hill in Bilaspur district of Madhya Pradesh state, and for the first 320 km (200 miles) of its course winds among the Mandla Hills, which form the head of the Satpura Range; then at Jabalpur, passing through the 'Marble Rocks', it enters the Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and pursues a direct westerly course to the Gulf of Cambay. Its total length through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat amounts to 1312 km (815 miles), and it empties into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat. Its total catchment area is 94,235 km² lying in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat with 18 tributaries with catchment area ranging from 1,350 to 6,330 km². Of these, 16 are in Madhya pradesh and two are in Gujarat.

Fish and Fisheries of Narmada

The fisheries of the river Narmada consists of the following species.

Carps: Tor tor, Labeo fimbriatus, L. calbasu, L. bata, Labeo kontius, Cirrhinus mrigala, C. reba, Catla catla, Puntius sarana etc. 

Catfishes: Mystus seengala, M. aor, M. cavasius, Wallago attu, Rita pavimentata, Ompok bimaculatus etc

Miscellaneous : Notopterus notopterus, Channa spp., Mastacembelus spp, minnows etc

Fishing gears employed

They include cast net, gill net, long lines etc.