Berhampur: Over 7.50 lakh fingerlings of different species were released in Rushikulya river as part of the river ranching programme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The fingerlings of different sizes and various species were released at Kansariganda near Chhatrapur recently. “The initiative under PMMSY seeks to address the declining fish populations in the river and enhance the livelihoods of local fishermen,” assistant fishery officer Manoranjan Nayak said on Wednesday.The fish fingerlings of different sizes were released during a brief function held on the shore of the river on Monday afternoon where Chhatrapur MLA Krushna Chandra Nayak and several other local fishermen and fishery officers were present.The programme was launched last year in selected major rivers in the state, including Rushikulya. Last year, the fishery officials released the fingerlings in three places in Rushikulya, including near Purushottampur and Kansariganda. “As the river is dry in some other areas, we released the fingerlings at Kansariganda, which is a gorge in the river,” Manoranjan added.He said they released the Indian major carp species like rohu, mrigal and katla, which are in great demand among locals. These species also auto-breed in the river, which can help increase the fishery resources in the river, he added.“The govt has taken several programmes for supporting the livelihood of the fishermen and river ranching is one of these under the PMMSY. The project is expected to significantly bolster fish populations in the river and support local fisheries,” the MLA said.“While releasing the fingerlings in the river, we also urged the fishermen not to catch the small fish for consumption. If any small fish are caught during fishing, they should be released in the river once again to increase their population. Awareness meetings were held among the fishermen in nearby villages dominated by the fishermen,” Manoranjan added.