Raipur: Livelihood ponds are emerging as a new source of economic opportunity for rural women in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, enabling them to earn an income through fish and shrimp farming within their villages. The initiative, being implemented under the VB-G RAM G Scheme with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support, aims to promote women's economic empowerment while creating sustainable rural livelihoods.

At present, 55 women are engaged in fisheries-related activities through these livelihood ponds. Recognising the potential of the initiative, preparations are underway to develop another 90 livelihood ponds, extending the benefits to more rural women and strengthening village-level income opportunities.

The initiative focuses on productive utilisation of village water resources by integrating aquaculture with livelihood generation. Fish and shrimp farming is expected to provide women with an additional source of income while encouraging greater participation in local economic activities.

The estimated average profit from each pond is around Rs 50,000 over the coming six months. This is expected to help participating women supplement their household incomes and move towards greater financial independence. The expansion of the initiative is also expected to create opportunities for more rural households to participate in income-generating activities without having to depend entirely on traditional sources of livelihood.

The programme reflects the Chhattisgarh government's focus on strengthening rural livelihoods and promoting women's self-reliance under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. By combining government initiatives with CSR support and the productive use of local resources, the effort seeks to create livelihood opportunities at the grassroots level.

With 90 additional ponds in the pipeline, Dhamtari's initiative is set to widen the scope of women-led livelihood opportunities, demonstrating how local resources, institutional support and community participation can work together to advance rural economic empowerment.

BI Bureau