Dhenkanal: While the unseasonal rain brings unwanted problems and severe loss to farmers across the state, it has proved to be a boon for unemployed youths of villages under Dhenkanal district, providing them an unusual yet lucrative opportunity to earn a quick buck.
For these youngsters, it is the rainy season mostly from June to mid-October ever year that helps them to make quick money without any investment.
Taking the opportunity of heavy unseasonal rainfall, the youths catch fishes from inundated paddy fields that keep them away from toiling as daily labourers.
It is during the three to four months, these youths travel to highly rain affected areas and catch fishes that have been swept into the paddy fields following floods in rivers and canals.
The seasonal business requires no investment and assures high returns.
While they are not professional fishermen, they have nets and have developed their skills as they have been into the business since long.
“Who would have thought that heavy rains also give a source of income? But, it has been a good source of income and business for people like me. Youths like me make around Rs 60,000 in this few months just by catching fish from inundated paddy fields,” said a youth of Dhenkanal Sankarpur area.
Similarly, for Jadumani Behera and others of Mendhapada in Parjang block, the seasonal business opportunity provides an escape from daily wage. Listening to meteorological department predictions constitute the first duty of these ingenious youngsters. As per the prediction, they then travel to highly affected areas and catch fishes. Their area of activity is Mendhapada minor irrigation project, Behera says.
Similarly, Ramesh Sahoo said he recently caught 10 different varieties of fish in just one hour. On an average he catches at least one quintal fish every day which he sells for Rs 170 to 200 per kg in the nearby market, he added.
PNN