Raipur, Jul 21 (PTI) An aqua park will be established in the submergence area of the Hasdeo Bango reservoir in Chhattisgarh's Korba district to promote fisheries and water tourism, a government official said on Monday.

With the efforts of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the Central Government under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, has sanctioned more than Rs 37.1 crore for the project, he said.

As per an official statement, the state's first aqua park will come up in the reservoir's submergence area, spread across hundreds of acres, in Etma Nagar and Satrenga, it said.

The project is expected to bring revolutionary changes in fish production, processing, marketing, exports, and aqua tourism, thereby substantially improving the income of rural communities in the region, it added.

CM Sai expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government for approving the funds for the project.

The proposed aqua park will have two zones. A feed mill, fish processing plant, hatchery and recirculatory aquaculture system will be set up in Etma Nagar, while water sports facilities will be set up in Satrenga, a key tourist destination, the release stated.

Etma Nagar will house facilities right from seed production to processing, marketing and international export of fish. The processing plant will include state-of-the-art systems for cleaning, filleting, and packaging fish for overseas markets, it said.

Sai said the project will bring modern fishery technologies to the state and open doors for international trade.

The initiative will make Chhattisgarh self-reliant in fisheries and help local farmers scale up their businesses beyond national borders, he said.

Currently, nearly 800 cages are active in the submergence area of the Hasdeo Bango reservoir, where over 160 fishermen from nine cooperative societies are engaged in cage culture. Each participant manages about five cages, earning an average annual net income of Rs 90,000, the release said.

The region specialises in Tilapia and Pangasius species of fish, with the former already being exported in limited quantities to the United States, where it is in high demand.

The aqua park aims to increase this export volume to the US and Europe, further integrating local producers into the global seafood market, it said.

Tourists will not only enjoy scenic beauty and recreational activities but also taste a variety of delicious fish-based dishes, generating new business and employment opportunities for locals, it added. PTI TKP ARU

Central funding under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana enables an aqua park to boost fisheries production and water tourism. Central funding under a national fisheries scheme will establish an aqua park in the Hasdeo Bango reservoir submergence area with two zones: Etma Nagar for seed production, a feed mill, hatchery, recirculatory aquaculture system and a fish processing plant equipped for cleaning, filleting, packaging and international export; and Satrenga for water-sports and tourism. The project aims to scale Tilapia and Pangasius production, integrate local producers into export markets, and generate tourism-linked employment and income for rural communities.