UAE’S INVESTMENT IN UTTAR PRADESH’S UNNAO INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR

Name : Smriti Iyer
Registration No. : WRO475104
City : Thane, Maharashtra

Uttar Pradesh is all set to significantly TRANSFORM its FISHERIES SECTOR, with a whopping Rs 4,000 crores investments from UAE’s Aqua Bridge Group which is marking one of the Largest Foreign Investments in India’s Aquaculture Industry. The project is proposed to be worked upon in Unnao district’s Saraiya Village under the UP Industrial Development Authority (UPIDA) that will spread across Six Main Districts namely Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Ayodhya, Barabanki and Rae Bareli. The main objective is to establish a one-of-a-kind State of the Art Fishing Ecosystem, enabling to integrate Advanced Technology available, research and development efforts to be streamlined in this field and also able to structure market linkages appropriately.

The Intensive Aquaculture Farm and Aquatic Research Centre in Unnao, will be the Organization which will strongly drive the modern age fish feed related production methods, how to go about with its post harvesting operations and providing training programs to farmers, unlike the traditional way of doing farming since it is a completely new age farming technique which is experimented in India for the very first time. These investments require more of research-driven aquaculture along with Artificial -Intelligence (AI) Based farming techniques – which becomes the very first for Uttar Pradesh.

Now, let us look at the Key Objectives of the Above-mentioned Strategic Investment which can be considered as a broader effort to develop India’s “Blue Economy”, which mainly focuses on sustainable use of ocean and water resources for economic growth. Currently, it is clearly visible that Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s Leading Fish- producing states, but it may face certain challenges in the form of lack of proper infrastructure facilities, adequate modernization and export capabilities. These set of challenges can be overcome by highly benefiting from the UAE’s financial and technological infusion which will help to bridge these gaps, making the State a national hub for fisheries and aquaculture in the years to come.

1. Infrastructure Development -

One of the Primary Goals of this Strategic Investment is to basically upgrade fisheries infrastructure which is already available in Uttar Pradesh, which includes the following –

• Setting up Modern Fish Processing Units that are capable of handling large-scale production and export.
• Building of Cold Storage Facilities is becoming of prime importance to reduce the post-harvest losses to a considerable extent and maintain fish quality.
• Enabling and Creating High- End Tech Hatcheries ensure a Consistent Supply of high-yield or maybe exotic variety of species.
• Developing Fisheries Parks, in Most Strategic Locations to encourage Cluster- Based Fish Farming.

All the benefits will boost the efficiency of the fisheries sector and make it highly competitive with Global Seafood Markets. 

1. Helps in Job Creation and Skill Development -

With such a huge investment of Rs 4,000 crore, this initiative is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local communities, covering a diverse range of individuals such that of youth, Traditional Fishermen as well as entrepreneurs who wish to venture out in this field, with proper guided training programs which focuses on-

• Modern Aquaculture techniques, such as Bio Floc and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) , which I strongly believe must be well known, established and developed by the UAE and that will be channelized through our operations. 

Now, we can try to understand How the Bio Floc and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems in the water treatment processes actually work as –

It is basically used in home aquariums and where for the purpose of fish production to take place smoothly, water exchange is very limited and the use of Biofiltration is very much required to reduce Ammonia Toxicity which acts as a value addition.

Ammonia is generated as a waste product due to fish metabolism and whose high concentrations are extremely toxic to most of the finfishes.

When it comes to removal of solid waste, the Typical RAS makes use of solids removal that involves a Sand Filter or even a Particle Filter, wherein particles easily get lodged into and can periodically be backflushed out of the filter.

The next thing that comes to mind is maintaining pH control which must be carefully monitored and controlled. A Low pH level indicates that there is a high level of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) which ultimately proves toxic to the fishes. Secondly, appropriate temperatures must be kept for all types of fish species. This is done with the help of submerged heaters, heat pumps, chillers and even heat exchangers. All these help in keeping the system operating at the Optimal Temperature for maximizing fish production.

• Proper Processing, Packaging and export strategies must be in place to meet the International Recognized Standards.
• To Develop Sustainable fishing practices which will aim to protect aquatic ecosystems and at the same time maximize the yield.

In addition to the above, it will encourage women-led driven fisheries co-operatives on a large scale, thereby promoting the concept of Inclusive Economic Growth in the rural areas.

1. Planning to Implement Technology- Driven Aquaculture -

One factor that must be clearly kept in mind is that to compete in the global seafood market, Uttar Pradesh’s Fisheries Sector needs advanced Technology Adoption right from the beginning till the end of its operations. This will largely benefit in terms of the following –

• Complete Automation of Feeding Systems to enhance fish growth and reduce waste at the same time.
• Artificial-Intelligence Based Monitoring Solutions for the purpose of real-time analysis of water quality, early disease detection and reaping benefits from Optimal Harvesting periods.
• To Develop and adopt suitable Precision Aquaculture Techniques which ensures maximum yield with minimal resource usage.
• Combine renewable energy resources such as that of solar-powered aeration systems which make the entire operations sustainable.

With all the above advancements, the fish farming sector in Uttar Pradesh will certainly lead to making the business more efficient, environmentally friendly and profitable in the long run.

1. Boosting Export Potential –

The State of Uttar Pradesh has immense potential to become a major seafood exporter, and with the help of this particular investment it will help in encashing the opportunity. Presently, India’s Seafood exports amount to nearly $ 8 billion annually, and with betterment of all the facilities as explained above, Uttar Pradesh can significantly contribute to this figure.

The Fish and seafood related products from Uttar Pradesh can reach easily the international markets, particularly in the following areas –

• The Middle East ( which includes UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar).
• Europe Part ( Which includes Germany, UK and France).
• Southeast Asian Countries (which mainly include Japan, China and Thailand).

By resorting to this, Uttar Pradesh will be able to meet global safety and hygiene standards in a much better manner when it comes to maintaining the competitiveness of their products globally.

1. The Investment will Promote Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Practices - 

The given investment proposal comes with an inherent limitation of how far the environment around may get degraded due to implementing such operations. This Majorly includes-

• One can Develop Water Recycling Systems to reduce water usage, which is the major component involved here, thereby enhancing conservation.
• A newly introduced concept of Adopting to Cage Culture and Integrated Multi- Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) in which multiple species are farmed together, reducing waste and increasing the overall productivity.
• By largely Implementing Waste Management Solutions to minimize the pollution created from the fisheries operations.

Now, comes how The Uttar Pradesh Government will play a Crucial Role in Facilitating Strategic Investment-

The Uttar Pradesh Government, has warmly welcomed this investment and it is being introduced which gives rise to a number of benefits such as –

• Fast-Tracking Regulatory Approvals and Monitoring it for Aquaculture Projects.
• Providing Tax Benefits, Subsidies to the Investors.
• Proper Allocation of Land and Water bodies for large-scale farming activities.
• Providing Easy Access to Credit and Financial Aid for the local fishermen and entrepreneurs to encourage their participation in such an investment.

There maybe a set of challenges and Roadblock that they face which needs to be addressed by firstly ensuring effective implementation of large-scale fisheries projects, managing all the environment related concerns and risks that are associated with intensified aquaculture farming business and adequate training and education must be imparted to the rural fishermen who will be handling it on ground, everything inside and out related to the modern techniques of aquaculture farming. 

Conclusion:

The massive Rs 4,000 Crores UAE investment is all set to embark a historic moment in Uttar Pradesh’s fisheries sector and in India’s aquaculture industry by and large. It is done by harnessing infrastructure facilities, technological developments, sustainability practices and exports will all make Uttar Pradesh into a Global Fisheries Hub in the times to come. It is in the process to creating a Benchmark for Fisheries Development in India, showing one of its first Strategic International Collaborations which ultimately leads to innovation and sustainable growth in this sector.