Gangtok, Sep 24 (PTI) Anglers in Sikkim will organise a three-day river festival on the banks of the Rangeet river near Jorethang from September 25, seeking to blend catch-and-release fishing with river conservation, adventure tourism and local culture, organisers said on Thursday.
The government is also supporting the festival by helping improve infrastructure.
The Chirbiry River Fest, organised by the Sikkim Anglers’ Association (SAA), will feature a catch-and-release fishing competition in which every mahseer, a prized freshwater game fish belonging to the carp family, caught will be returned to the river.
The festival will also include riverside camping, pottery, photography, birdwatching, mushroom walks, poetry, cooking and bakery sessions, storytelling, live music and bonfires.
A community river clean-up, dubbed “The River Pick”, will also be held.
“The idea was to move beyond individual conservation efforts and create something that could bring together sustainable angling, tourism and community participation along the Rangeet,” SAA member Uday Chandra Rai said.
The initiative was conceived as a celebration of the association’s 25 years of work in angling and fish conservation.
Rai said the SAA had travelled to places in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to study rivers and nature while discussing whether its efforts were being carried forward for the next generation.
“Our experience has shown us that when the local community benefits from sustainable economic activity around a river, it also develops a greater stake in protecting that river,” Rai said.
The association had placed the proposal before Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who accepted it, and is now working with the Sikkim government on developing the initiative.
The organisers expect around 500 visitors during the festival, with camping facilities available on all three days. Visitors can bring their own tents.
The initiative is also aimed at promoting sustainable tourism beyond the state’s established destinations. Discussions have been held with residents of Singla on the Darjeeling side of the Rangeet, while outreach programmes were conducted in Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal, and contacts were established with conservationists and anglers in Siliguri.
“Rivers do not recognise political boundaries, and this initiative is about communities coming together for their protection. We want people living on both sides of the Rangeet to share a common commitment towards conserving the river,” Rai said. PTI COR NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.