DHENKANAL: ‘Make hay while the sun shines’ is not just a proverb for hundreds of unemployed youths of the district. For these youngsters, the rainy season presents an unusual yet lucrative opportunity to earn a quick buck.
The youths catch fish from June to mid-October every year from inundated paddy fields. The seasonal business requires no investment and assures high returns. Susant Behera (39) of Dhenkanal-Sankarpur area says heavy rains mean good business for people like him. He makes Rs 55,000 a year catching fish from inundated paddy fields. 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 a part of the routine these ingenious youngsters follow during the period. Their area of activity is Mendhapada minor irrigation project.
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 Rs 200 per kg in the nearby market, he added.