Young innovator Ahmedul Kabir Upal of Chuadanga has invented a device called "PondGuard" to make modern fish farming easier. It will take mechanisation of fish farming a step further, reduce dependence on labour and save costs. If it reaches fish farmers with public and private support, Bangladesh's fish production could grow even more.

The device has been installed at a pond in a remote field in Joyrampur village, Damurhuda upazila, where it keeps watch day and night alongside a small number of guards. Upal said PondGuard combines an IP camera, a battery, a solar panel, some other devices and app-based technology, with a solar system for uninterrupted power. It can be used to secure fish farms in remote villages, letting owners monitor distant projects from home and reducing dependence on labour.

For now the device works only for security, the inventor says. With further development it will feed fish automatically, measure water quality and send messages to users, which could also help digital water research across the country.

Md. Nur Alam Liton, owner of Konika Fish Farm and a resident of Chuadanga town, uses PondGuard at the farm's project in the remote Joyrampur field. Because the pond is hard to reach, it could not be checked regularly before; now he can watch it constantly from home. Akkas Ali, who guards the pond, said two people used to provide security at Konika Fish Farm.

Source: Bangladesh Pratidin. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.