Tripura, 06 August 2026: A Fisheries Science student from the College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural University (CAU), Lembucherra, has launched a youth-led conservation initiative aimed at documenting and protecting Tripura’s rapidly declining indigenous freshwater fish species.
Anubhab Sil, a Climate Champions Fellow under the National Youth Climate Consortium (NYCC) 2026, an initiative of the Bring Back Green Foundation supported by YuWaah–UNICEF India, is spearheading Project NIRMAJAL, a statewide campaign focused on conserving indigenous fish biodiversity and preserving traditional ecological knowledge.
The project covers major wetlands including Rudra Sagar, Kalyan Sagar, and Dumboor Lake, where field teams are conducting biodiversity surveys alongside documenting Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) shared by local fishing communities. The research aims to understand how native fish populations and wetland ecosystems have changed over time.
Running from July to December 2026, NIRMAJAL seeks to engage more than 300 young people across Tripura and train 20 Fish Biodiversity Ambassadors to promote community-led conservation. The initiative will conclude with a statewide youth-authored policy brief containing recommendations for wetland and fisheries management based on scientific findings and community knowledge.
The campaign also includes awareness programmes in schools and villages, while collaborating with institutions such as the College of Fisheries (CAU), Department of Fisheries, Government of Tripura, and Techno India University Tripura to strengthen research, mentorship, and knowledge sharing.
Beyond documenting fish diversity, the project will produce a comprehensive species inventory, a Traditional Ecological Knowledge compendium, a scientific research report, and a policy brief to support evidence-based conservation of Tripura’s freshwater ecosystems.
Given its strong emphasis on indigenous communities and traditional fishing knowledge, the initiative is expected to resonate with people across Tripura, particularly Kokborok-speaking communities whose livelihoods and cultural heritage are closely linked to the state’s wetlands. The project highlights how a young researcher from Tripura is contributing to a national climate fellowship while working to protect the state’s unique wetland biodiversity for future generations.
