Assam: Community fishing exercise kicks off in Kokrajhar's Longa river

Community fishing exercise today kicked off in Assam's Kokrjahar as scores of people descended on the Longa river in Serfanguri.

The community fishing, which has been a tradition for the people of the region, is practiced yearly by the people at the longa river at this time of the year. Not just Bodos, but other communities like Koch Rajbongshis, Adivasis and Muslims also get together and engaged in community fishing, putting forth a strong picture of communal amity.

Today, more than a thousand people descended into the waters of the Longa river with fishing nets, and small traditional fishing baskets, as both men and women waddle through the water trying to catch fish. 

Various local varieties of fish such rohu, borali, Shol and others were caught today as part of the fishing exercise. 

The yearly community fishing exercise takes place at this time of the year as excess water is released from neighbouring Bhutan into the Longa river, prompting a rich stock of fish in the waters. This has prompted a yearly tradition among the locals to conduct community fishing here.