Bengalis’ platter is soon going to be without the ‘hilsa’.

Tweet

I am not sure whether you are aware of a very popular fish in India which is particularly very popular to the Bengalis. It is the ‘hilsa’. I am also not sure whether it is available in your area or what its local name is in your area. So long during the seasonal time of the rainy season, it used to be a regular item of a Bengali dish. But, unfortunately, the ‘hilsa’ is disappearing steadily from the Bengalis’ platter. The fall in the size of this year’s catch is alarming. It may be due to lack of rain and east wind keeping ‘hilsa’ off coast. But it must be kept in mind that breeding and migration grounds of the ‘hilsa’ have been shrinking both in Bangladesh and India due to the high level of pollution in the rivers of these countries as well as the alarming decrease in the volume of water flow. No reservoir should be allowed to be constructed in the upper catch area of the Ganges to ensure a steady flow of water in the river so that salinity of the water near the coastal area cannot increase and the ‘hilsa’ migrates into the sweet water of the river for laying eggs. Besides, the waters of the Padma-Meghna and the Hooghly-Bhagirathi river systems may be dredged at regular intervals to maintain a proper flow of water that will ensure the migration of the ‘hilsa’. Both the governments of Bangladesh and India should work hand in hand to tide over the crisis of gradual decrease in supply of the ‘hilsa’ to the Bengalis’ platter. Otherwise, Bengalis’ platter would soon be devoid of any dish containing the ‘hilsa’. Have you ever tasted the ‘hilsa’? How do you like it? Have you any suggestion in this regard of increasing the supply of the ‘hilsa’ to the Bengalis’ platter?