Politicians visit turns chaotic as crowd loots fish from biofloc tank in northern India
by Aditi VermaA public exhibition in northern India’s Bihar turned chaotic when a crowd looted fish from a biofloc tank shortly after Bihar CM Nitish Kumar left the event. Despite officials’ attempts to control the situation, the tank was damaged, resulting in significant financial loss.
The incident took place in Saharsa on September 20.
Visuals showed at the event, a large biofloc tank was set up, resembling a pond-like structure filled with fish. As soon as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar left, a crowd gathered around the tank, quickly turning chaotic. People of all ages, including children and youths, rushed towards the biofloc, trying to grab as many fish as they could. Some even jumped into the tank to reach the fish, damaging it in the process. The scene was noisy and frantic, with the crowd pushing and shoving as they caught fish, holding them triumphantly in their hands.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attended an exhibition in Saharsa on Friday, organized by various government departments, where he inaugurated multiple projects and participated in a fish farming display by adding fish to a biofloc tank. However, the event took an unexpected turn after the CM’s departure. A crowd, primarily children and youths, rushed to the biofloc tank, damaging it in their attempts to catch fish. Videos circulating on social media show people holding fish they had looted from the tank.
One youth candidly remarked that they had come to catch fish rather than see the Chief Minister, joking that they would have a “fish party in the name of Nitish Kumar.” The incident caused a loss of ₹45,000, according to District Fisheries Officer Subodh Kumar.
Besides the exhibition, CM Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone for new government schemes, handed cheques to self-help groups (SHGs), and inaugurated the Maa Vishhari temple, where he performed a puja and announced annual tourism events in the area.