Bhogali fish at Rs 10,000!

Customers walloped with sky-high prices after Deepor Beel community fishing

Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Jan 10: Guwahatians today made a beeline to Deepor Beel where locals embarked on the first community fishing for the ensuing Bhogali Bihu. But most prospective customers returned disappointed.

Prices of fish skyrocketed to Rs 10,000 per catch.

The fishing was held under the aegis of Deepor Beel Panchpara Masmoriya Samabay Samity.  Interestingly, the fish are not sold by weight. They are priced randomly, with some pricing a single catch of some 4 kgs to Rs 10,000.

"I bought around half a kg of fish for Rs 800. That was the minimum. Customers were left to the whims and fancies of the sellers. They charged anything from Rs 1,500 to Rs 10,000 per fish," said Jayanta Kalita, a scientist at the Krishi Vikash Kendra located at Kahikuchi near Azara.

The variety of fish included Rou, Borali, Bhokua, Mirika, Kuhi etc.

But there was a section which paid up whatever the fishermen charged. They were blamed by others for the abnormal prices at the Azara Evening Market where the fish was brought for sale. "Had they not paid what the traders charged and protested, the prices would have been low," rued another customer who returned empty-handed and upset.