She did not have to buy a lottery ticket nor did she have to loot a bank, yet an elderly lady In West Bengal turned rich overnight by catching a giant fish on Saturday.
The elderly woman Pushpa Kar in Sagar islands in Sundarbans area of South 24 Parganas district pulled out a 52kg fish from the river by chance while she went fishing, which fetched her Rs.6200 per kg.
The elderly lady received over Rs.3 lakhs for the fish, something she had never dreamed of. The giant fish had probably collided with a passing vessel after which the fish died. The fish would have fetched more had it not started decomposing.
Kar jumped into the river when she saw the giant fish floating in the river. It took her some time and effort before she could pull the fish onto the riverbank. Locals helped her to take the fish to the market where it was identified as the Bhola fish.
Though the fish had started decomposing, prompting it to become rubbery, the fish cannot be eaten but can be used for other purposes. Organs such as the blubber are even exported to countries in Southeast Asia. Dried blubber or Fish Maw can fetch a price of Rs 80,000 per kg. The fish can also be used for medicinal purposes.
For Kar, it was a moment she will never forget and for a long time now, economic difficulties will not haunt her thanks to catching the big fish.
