Hyderabad: Telangana animal husbandry and fisheries minister Vakati Srihari has launched the state-wide fish seed stocking programme at Hema Samudram Lake in Hanwada, Mahabubnagar district.

The event was attended by Mahabubnagar District Collector Viziendira Boyi along with other officials.

As part of the initiative, over 1.8 lakh fish seedlings were released into the lake to promote inland fisheries and improve local livelihoods.

Meanwhile, the state government has also reportedly begun preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the establishment of cold storage units across all 33 districts, aimed at enhancing fish preservation and market reach.

In a major boost to the sector, chief minister A Revanth Reddy has also sanctioned an additional Rs 123 crore towards fisheries development. The programme includes free distribution of fish and prawn seeds to benefit nearly five lakh fisher families across Telangana.

Across the state, fish worth Rs 94 crore (84 crore fish seeds) are being released into 26,000 tanks, while prawns worth Rs 29 crore (10 crore prawn seeds) are being released into 300 water bodies.

The large-scale stocking operation spans the Godavari and Krishna river basins.