A total of 6097.99 hectares of land have been freed from encroachments around the Chilika lake by a joint eviction drive conducted by the Chilika Development Authority, the district administration and the Fisheries Department recently.
Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department Minister Pradeep Maharathy informed this in the State Assembly in response to a question of BJD MLA Jogendra Behera on Tuesday.
The Minister stated that the Government had no information regarding massive use of chemicals in prawn gheries for which water in the Chilika is getting contaminated and fishes, crabs and prawns are being affected.
In a related question of BJP MLA Dillip Ray, the Minister informed that a total of 16,358 metric tonne of prawns, fishes and crabs were produced from Chilika lake during 2017-18 against 26,362 MT in 2016-17, 12,236 MT in 2015-16, 12,054 MT in 2014-15 and 12,936 MT in 2013-14.
A total of 61,338 traditional fishermen are being dependent directly and indirectly on the Chilika lake for livelihoods, he said.