The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fish

  • Fish: Firm trains 620 to strengthen aqua culture

    Nigeria’s plan of achieving self-sufficiency in fish production has received a boost. Aller Aqua Limited  trained over 1000 catfish and tilapia farmers on proper feed management. This is to boost local production and reduce the country’s yearly import bill of N238 billion

    Aller Aqua Nigeria  Limited, a subsidiary of Denmark-based fish feed producer, Aller Aqua Group, is  working with the government  to empower  fishermen to learn profitable aquaculture.

    Its Regional Sales Manager, Mr Foluso Dada, said the agro firm has  trained 620 fish farmers this year, in its ongoing “free training’’ to further drive the Federal Government’s plan to strengthen aqua culture.

    He said the  figure included trainings in Asaba, Warri, Benin and Port Harcourt. “The training is focused on increasing efficiency and production of fish farmers, using efficient fish conversion,” said Dada, adding: “With this, a catfish farmer with 1,200 pieces of fish can make 24.7 per cent profit margins, having three production cycles of four months each and a tilapia farmer with same pieces of fish will have 37.5 percent profits.”

    According to him, the outcome of the training since it commenced in 2016, has propelled the firm to extend its activities to the South-West cities such as Lagos and Ibadan. “The training is going to be in three parts, to bridge the gap in the aquaculture sub-sector deficit in optimum profitability. The first part of the training will be for those, who own fish farms on managing practices, to build farmers’ capacity and opportunities for making profits.

    “The second phase, which is a technical part, will be on Economics of Feeding and Feeds Efficiency for farm owners and managers. The third is on Tilapia production, focusing on feasibility studies of how to set up tilapia farms and how to make profits,’’ Dada said.

    Managing Director, Amolese Aquaculture Nigeria Limited, Tiamiyu Nurudeen  underscored the need for organisations to help  small fish farmers overcome various problems  they  face.

    Tiamiyu, who is also the national npresident of the Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria, believed the sector’s performance was crucial to income generation and poverty alleviation, calling for an enabling pro-growth policy environment for the sector.

    Nurudeen said the fisheries and aquaculture sector has been making an important contribution to the country’s economic growth. In the workshop, presentations highlighted key prerequisites for success in fish farming business using feed. The presentations also identified concrete managerial issues which should be addressed to ensure the sustainability of  fish farms.

  • ‘How to tackle deficiency in fish production’

    ‘How to tackle deficiency in fish production’

    An expert in aquaculture, Mrs. Mojisola Funmilayo Siyanbola, has urged the Federal Government to provide effective and efficient proactive security measures to tackle the deficiency in fish production and preservation.

    Mrs Siyanbola, a  senior lecturer, Department of Biology, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, while delivering the 11th Inaugural Lecture of the institution titled, “Nigeria’s fish supply deficit: Bridging the gap through sustainable aquaculture,” stressed the  need to transform aquaculture from subsistence to commercial level to address inadequate supply of fish in the country.

    She said: “From all indications, fish production in the country has been deficient for many years in meeting the projected domestic demand. This trend seems to be unrelenting due to the ever widening gap between demand and supply”.

    “The activities of the artisans and industrial fisheries have been the backbone of fish production in Nigeria, but over the years, their contributions have been unable to meet up with the annual demand.”The problem of insecurity which is a serious problem to our aquatic resources especially the marine resources should be tackled. There must be an effective and efficient proactive security measures to protect our aquatic resources.”

    While advocating for provision of soft loans and grants to young Nigerians to enable them embark on commercial fish production, Siyanbola urged the government to shift from its cosmetic and elitist policies and  go back to the drawing board to work out strategies to attract prospective young farmers to involve in fishing business. “The Federal Government should make it a policy for financial institution to provide soft loans and grants to young Nigerians to enable them embark on commercial fish production.

    “The Nigerian government approach to fish culture is at best cosmetic and elitist. The Federal Government must go to the drawing board to work out strategies to attract young Nigerians into the fish farming subsector as one pragmatic panacea to the disturbing menace of youth unemployment which constitutes grave threat to our national security which can be seen from the involvement of younger citizens in crimes of kidnapping for ransom payment, terrorism, pipelines vandalism and other organised crimes.”

    Mrs Siyanbola also recommends among others the need to checkmate piracy so as to make fish culture subsector beneficial to the national economy, regular capacity building and training/workshops for extension officers in aquaculture at both Federal, state and local levels, and introduction of aqua-entreprenureship as one of the vocations in entrepreneurship education curriculum.

  • Gbajabiamila empowers fish farmers with N25m

    Gbajabiamila empowers fish farmers with N25m

    T13he Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has empowered 100 fish farmers with equipment worth N25 million.

    At the presentation in Lagos, Gbajabiamila said it was the first phase of his agricultural empowerment programme.

    The beneficiaries were drawn from the Community Development Areas (CDAs) in his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency.

    He said: “This is a special empowerment because every time people come to me saying I don’t want you to give me fish I want you to teach me how to catch fish.

    “After consultation, I came up with this initiative and today each beneficiary is going home with equipment for fish sorting, grading, drying and cool storage worth N250,000.”

    The House Leader promised that if the beneficiaries can build fish pond within their compound, “I will give you N2million to buy your first feed and with that you are gradually getting out of recession.”

    He urged Nigerians to embrace agriculture as alternative way to cushion effects of the recession.

    According to him, “the way to go now is agriculture not oil anymore. When we were growing up, one of the richest men in the country was Ibru. I use to think Ibru is the name of a fish not knowing it was the name of a man that made money from fish. So you will make money if you make good use of these equipment. Please don’t sell them,” Gbajabiamila pleaded.

  • Fish, olive oil better at treating heart disease

    Eating plenty of vegetables, nuts and olive oil is more effective than drugs such as statins in treating heart disease, an “extraordinary” study suggests.

    Patients who stuck to a Mediterranean diet were a third less likely to die early than those who preferred red meat and butter, Italian researchers found. As the findings were reported, the national health service (NHS) in Britain was urged to subsidise fruit and vegetables and start prescribing healthy eating to millions of people with heart trouble.

    A diet rich in fish and fruit has long been known to be good for the heart, but the latest results are the first to show that Mediterranean eating patterns could prevent deaths, even in those who are already ill.

    Giovanni de Gaetano, of the IRCCS Neuromed Institute in Pozzilli, central Italy, the study’s senior author, said: “So far research has focused on the general population, which is mainly composed of healthy people. What happens to people who have already suffered from cardiovascular disease? Is the Mediterranean diet optimal for them too?”

    His study answered this question with a resounding “yes” after looking at 1,200 people with a history of heart attacks, strokes and blocked arteries. Over seven years, 208 patients died but the closer people were to an ideal Mediterranean diet the less likely they were to be among the fatalities.

    Those who ate mainly along Mediterranean lines were 37 per cent less likely to die during the study than those who were furthest from them, after adjusting for age, sex, class, exercise and other habits, Professor de Gaetano told the European Society of Cardiology congress in Rome yesterday.

    “Doctors should inquire about the dietary habits of patients and of course they will continue to prescribe drugs such as statins, aspirin or whatever, but we can’t look at drugs as the only way of [saving lives],” he said.

    Professor de Gaetano said that it did not make sense that the NHS would pay for drugs but not for healthy food and that government should find a way to “contribute to the expense of the Mediterranean diet”.

    Sir David Nicholson, former chief executive of the NHS, said last month that he had stopped taking cholesterol-lowering statins over fears of side-effects and was relying on diet and exercise. “If a lifestyle change works then why would you take the statin?” he said.

    Professor de Gaetano said that many of the patients he studied would have been taking drugs such as statins. He insisted his findings meant that having a better diet as well as taking pills could bring an even bigger benefit. The researchers were sure that the results were not due to the patients taking statins because the study controlled for cholesterol-lowering treatment.

    Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist, said: “The Mediterranean diet is more powerful than any drug at reducing death rates in cardiovascular disease … It’s time for the NHS to embrace lifestyle medicine to rapidly save it from the collapse being predominantly driven by diet-related disease.”

  • Fed Govt destroys 15 containers of fish in Lagos

    The Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) has destroyed 15 containers of unwholesome frozen fish in Lagos.

    The fish, destroyed at the weekend,  allegedly belonging to a company, named Food Solution Nigeria Limited.

    The containers were evacuated by FDF from Sifax Off-Dock Terminal at Trinity, on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, to prevent the unwholesome fish from getting to the market.

    FDF ‘s Deputy Director  Mrs. Olabisi Adepegba  said a Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which shipped the containers into the country, would pay for the cost of destruction.

    She said of the company’s frozen fish-filled containers, 15 were laden with spoilt fish.

    The evacuated containers were taken  to Lagos State Waste Management Authority’s dumpsite at Epe, where the products were destroyed, after which a destruction certificate was issued to the shipping company and a copy to FDF for record purposes.

    She said the task of clearing and destroying the containers took some time because those involved were reluctant to bear the cost of evacuating and destroying the products.

    Adepegba stated that the FDF had a mandate to protect the public and prevent unwholesome fish from getting to the market.

    The  General Manager, Sifax Offdock, Oliver Omajuwa, said the consignment came in a batch of 43 containers, of which 15 were condemned and 28 had been taken delivery of and certified for consumption by the FDF.

  • Importers spend N2.29t on textile, rice, fish others

    Importers of textile materials, rice, fish, wheat and sugar spend close to N2.29 trillion to bring the commodities to Nigeria, yearly, The Nation has learnt.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance, who spoke on condition of anonymity, condemned the high rate of smuggling of the items into the country. The official said textile materials’ importers spend close to N1.29 trillion annually to ferry the items into the country.

    The official, who described those involved in smuggling as economic saboteurs, said smuggled textile materials have continued to flood the markets despite the efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service to curb the menace.

    He said: “From Lagos to Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina,  the smuggled textile materials are there. The smugglers are not only undermining the local industry, they also deprive the Federal Government of the needed revenue.

    “Anybody that is involved in smuggling of textile materials, agricultural produce and other items are guilty of economic sabotage. Smuggling is inimical to the national interest, economic growth and rapid development.

    “With the huge number of casualties suffered so far by the Nigeria Customs Service, it shows that smugglers have not only become more aggressive, but creative and determined to continue with their illicit business and that is why Nigerians need to support Customs in its war against smugglers by giving them useful information,” the official said.

    Also, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Baba Abubakar, said rice, fish, wheat, fish and sugar importers spend N1 trillion annually.

    Abubakar, who was represented by the Acting Director, Partnership and Linkages Programme, Yarama Ndirpaya, disclosed this during a seminar on Agricultural Biotechnology in Abuja.

    He said Nigeria was the largest importer of US hard red and white wheat to the tune of N635 billion yearly; world’s number two importer of rice at N356 billion; spends N217 billion on sugar and N97 billion on fish imports every year.

    This, he said, was unacceptable. “Nigeria spends over N1 trillion on the top four food imports annually. And farmers have limited capacity and use techniques that adversely affect soil fertility, water and biodiversity. Human-induced climate change compounds the issue,” he said.

  • ‘Why Fed Govt must ban fish importation’

    ‘Why Fed Govt must ban fish importation’

    Nigeria spends billions of naira yearly on fish importation, despite its huge marine resources. The Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Institute of Oceanography & Marine Research (NIOMR), Dr. Gbola Akande, in this interview with OLATUNDE ODEBIYI,urges the government to ban fish importation to stimulate domestic production, as aquaculture can enhance economic  divesrification .

    How do we bridge the gap between fish supply and demand?

    Aquaculture is the only way to bridge the gap.  All we need is more campaign and awareness on the importance of people going into aquaculture or fish farming. If we embrace aquaculture, it would help to reduce pressure on the amount of fish that we import and also reduce pressure on fishing. With our current population estimated to be about 170 million, the demand for fish is about 2.6 million tonnes annually. Locally, we produce only about 800,000 tonnes and import about 800,000 tonnes of frozen fish; this adds up to 1.6 million tonnes annually. This leaves a wide gap of about a million tonnes.

    Aquaculture is the only way to bridge the gap between fish supply and demand. For this to happen, more people should go into aquaculture. Although fish farming in Nigeria has been on the increase, for it to contribute meaningfully to the protein needs of the country, we need more campaign and awareness on the importance of people going into fish farming. This will help to reduce pressure on the amount of fish that we import and also reduce pressure on artisanal fishing.

    How should the government intervene in aquaculture?

    One area of aquaculture that is critical is feeds and this is where government must come to our aid. In aquaculture, feed accounts for about 75 per cent of the overhead cost. This is why NIOMR has been involved in carrying out research to reduce the cost of feed by looking into ingredients that can make feed come at a cheaper price. For instance, NIOMR’s research into the use of maize with cassava for aquaculture feed has brought down the cost of feed, though not drastically. Another major component of fish feed is fish meal, which is being imported. In this regard, we are researching into using some fish which species are in abundance in our water, to convert them into fish meal, to also reduce cost of feeding.

    How would NIOMR integrate Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) into fish production?

    NIOMR yearly carries out training for SMEs on aquaculture, fish processing and marketing- which is the bone marrow of the future. Currently, catfish is the major aquaculture product that we have, and it can be said that catfish takes about 90 per cent of what we produce in aquaculture while the rest are tilapia and all other fish species.

    NIOMR is researching into various tilapia species, so that there will be no problem with their growth. This would help us to have a second candidate that farmers will also be able to culture and farm with ease. Our effort to increase fish production in Nigeria has also led us into instituting a scheme known as entrepreneurship in aquaculture for young potential fish farmers. The Institute has also formed fish farmers into innovation platforms which would enable us to have marketers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and producers. The platform would help them to get better price for their produce.

    When you culture your fish, they do not come out equal. You could put 1000 fish in a tank, but all the fish will weigh differently. This is why the Institute came up with canning of cat fish, just like we have canned sardine and geisher. With this innovative platform, farmers may now can the smaller fish and sell the big ones. We have been canning catfish and tilapia which is our value addition to aquaculture as there will be choices to either have your fish fresh, canned or smoked. Value addition is critical for us because with more value on your product, you get more money.

    Nigeria is targeting agric as the arrow-head of its renewed economic revival plan. Where does your institute fit in?

    A lot of areas. For us to shift from oil to agriculture, it means we have to produce locally. One area that NIOMR has been working on is to discover fish species that can be used to produce fish meal as an alternative to imported fish meal; this is part of our effort to reduce the cost of feed. We have discovered the fish,. It is known as “Nectar Fish,” but we are still doing the preliminary studies. We have produced fish meal from this fish, and we have done the analysis of the protein, the fat, the moisture, the proximate composition and what the fish meal contains in terms of protein. We found out that the protein level is high- over 60 per cent. So, the next stage we are in is that we are undergoing is feeding trial to compare the fish meal produced from this fish with imported fish meal. If we can source the fish meal locally through this effort, that will be our own contribution to the economy.

    Another area is that in the ocean, we have another fish called ariomma fish species, which is a good replacement for titus and the sardine. We have located where those fish are in abundance and what we have done is to can the fish and do a comparative analysis between the ariomma fish species and the imported titus. Also, we have conducted research on and already gone into the culture of marine shrimps. We earn foreign exchange from export of shrimps but because of the quantity that we are able to catch, we do not get much. We are into research to enable us culture marine shrimps properly. Our aim is to have export potential in the nearest future, rather than just bringing in and not exporting.

    We also have plans to develop fish crackers which could replace prawn crackers being imported from China. Also, our smoked fish is a good product for export. Some people are exporting smoked fish. These are some of the things NIOMR is doing to support the Federal Government in its change programme – from a net importer to exporter.

    How can aquaculture be positioned as a major contributor to the GDP?

    Government should provide the enabling environment for the fishing industry to thrive. As the fish industry is today, some  people who are interested in it are not doing the business because of some of the problems in the Niger Delta and because we have the problem of pirates and militants to mention a few. In the past, the number of vessels that were operating in the country was between 200 and 250, but now this has reduced to less than 150. These are areas that government can come in.

    Another important step to take is that the Federal Government should totally ban importation of fish. This would help to protect our fish farms. There is no point importing fresh water fish since we have a lot of farmers investing in fish farming locally. If government bans fish importation, there will be massive cultivation of agric products and this would grow the economy. We have to produce what we eat locally, otherwise, we will run into problem and that is why this government is saying that we must produce what we eat locally. We need to sit down, look inwards and make sure that whatsoever we do has local content so that with time, there will be total ban of imported frozen fish, rice, tooth pick and other agricultural produce. If aquaculture takes its rightful place with the awareness we are creating, fish importation into the country is going to be a thing of the past because we are going to do massive aquaculture.

    What challenges do you face in carrying out your duties?

    Our major challenge is funding. Whether you are given enough money or not, research is a continuous exercise, but by God’s grace, this year’s budget is going to propel us to do more than what we have done in the past. This is because the projects we are going to have this year is enough for us to propel our research to a point that we will be able to say funding is not a major problem. The more money we get for the research, the better for us and, the more we can turn out more research results the more our findings. When we do research, we do not stop at research but, we take the research into a pilot level so that we will be able to tell interested entrepreneurs whether that project is viable or not.

    What are the latest innovations and researches by the institute?

    One major thing is that we have been able to solve the problem of catfish being underpriced from the farmers. That is why we are providing smoking klins that can smoke fish in a neat way so that the end of the day, they will get good price for their products. We have being able to use the smoking klins to assist farmers to add value to their fish and also to reduce fish excess which cannot be sold at a go when harvest is much.

    How do you fund your researches and projects? Do you depend solely on government’s subvention?

    Apart from the government budget, we have some projects that are externally funded. This year’s budget will be far better than what we got last year, and we will manage it judiciously to be able to achieve our targets and further justify the establishment of the institute.

    What are NIOMR’s targets?

    For this year, part of our target is to raise farmers as much as possible. We are going to produce a good number of smoking klins to spread all over the 36 states of the federation. For this year, we have targets on the number we are going to produce and we have targets to produce fingerlings that will be sold to farmers at subsidised rates. We also have plans to make all male tilapia fingerlings in order to boost a lot of aquaculture farming from tilapia. We are doing research to make sure that catfish can be bred all year round, because at certain points of the year, they don’t breed.

  • Fish farmer wins in Astymin Promo

    Fish farmer, Mr Oladipo Ojeyinka, is the March Star Winner in the ongoing Astymin Get Alert Promo.

    His number was selected from participating entries.

    Ojeyinka was elated at the news of his winning.

    He is the second star winner in the promo, which produced a Microfinance Banker, Mr Michael Irabor, as the first star winner in February.

    Recounting his experience, Ojeyinka said he prayed for God’s favour before sending the entry code because he  needed the cash to take care of some urgent family needs.

    “When I wanted to send the entry code, I prayed and told God that if the promo is true, He should please let me be the winner because I really needed the money to pay for my children’s schools fees. Business has not really been too smooth this period because of the situation of the country and it’s about that time I pay their school fees. So the money came at the very right time,” he said.

    He expressed gratitude to Astymin for the reward, saying the brand has delivered beyond expectations on his family’s health and wellbeing.

    “In fact, this is a double blessing for my family because, while we are still enjoying the benefits of the product on our health, the company decided to put smiles on our faces with this N100, 000. I am so grateful to Astymin for this reward”, he expressed.

    The promo, which is billed to run until December, has rewarded over 730 daily winners since inception  last month and will continue to reward more Nigerians for their loyalty and support, in celebration of 15 years of the brand’s existence in Nigeria.

    Earlier, General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Ola Ijimakin said during the launch of the campaign that part of the brand’s promises was to touch the lives of Nigerians and put smiles on their faces, through the delivery of quality product for good health.This the brand has been committed to achieving in the last fifteen years.

    He, therefore, urged Nigerians to prioritise their health and ensure they lead a healthy lifestyle daily. He said Astymin is committed to supporting healthy living among Nigerians, as the health of the people is the health of the nation.

  • A different kettle of fish

    DAYO is a woman with a bleeding heart. She was in a relationship for three years and had so many expectations about it. Just when she was thinking of how life would be together, the man walked away with a lady who lived adjacent to her house. Heartbroken, she decided not to fish for another heart again. Five months after, a brand new heart came along and the chemistry was just right. They worked in the same building and they saw each other on a regular basis. They got engaged the following year and marriage plans were in top gear. Now that she had found love, she looked more radiant and attractive. Two weeks to her wedding day, she got a call from her fiancé’s cousin that he died in a car crash. She was devastated and her world came crashing like a pack of cards.

    During the week, yours truly read about the story of a woman with a similar experience. This heart just could not bear the loss and so she killed herself. It was obvious that she loved him so much and just could not imagine what life would be like without the love of her life. Can you imagine a woman jumping to her death barely an hour after her man dies? Well, that was exactly what she did.

    This 36-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping from the eighth floor of her Noida flat on Tuesday. According to Noida police and residents of Prateek Laurel in Sector 119 where the couple lived, her husband Anurag Aggarwal (39) was rushed to Fortis Hospital following complaints of chest pain Tuesday afternoon.

    “He died in the hospital after a cardiac arrest at 2 pm. His wife, Monica Aggarwal (36), jumped from the balcony at around 3 pm. She was rushed to a hospital where she was declared brought in dead. The couple have a six-year-old daughter,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Noida City) Anoop Kumar.

    Interestingly, Monica is not alone. In a similar incident that happened about a week earlier, Assistant Commissioner of Police Amit Singh allegedly shot himself with his service revolver. Upset over his death, his wife also jumped from the balcony of their fourth floor residence in Noida’s Sector 100, minutes later. Two days after the incident, she succumbed to injuries. They are survived by an 18-month-old daughter.

    Modern day Romeo and Juliet! That is what comes to mind here. Most hearts in this position do not last a day apart. Even old couples who have lived with one another for decades have shown that they are irrelevant without the heart they promised to love till death do them apart. They just cannot afford to stay on when the heart that they cherish pass away. For this group of people, it is nothing but total love.

    The first thing that comes to mind here would be how you get the best from a relationship. How do you connect with a heart that is sincere and really loves you? The crux of the matter is that there are no straight answers to these emotional questions. A lot of times, it is a game of luck, chance as well as winning the right heart.

    Experts inform that in true love, the development of self is the most important ingredient for success. In this case, what you observe is that in the relationship both parties should want the best for one another. Conversely, what you get in toxic love is quite different. Here, the primary focus is on the relationship itself, sometimes the parties involved would obsess over how the two people involved interface in the relationship.

    For hearts that are liberal and genuine, the best thing you crave for is true love. Here you can be sure of comfort in separate interests. The experience would be great; you also have your own friends and meaningful relationships outside of such romantic relationships. In addition to all this, you also discover that there is excitement because you can pursue interests and ideas without fear of reprimand.

    It is different kettle of fish with love that is toxic. Even though there is total involvement in one another’s lives, one can’t go anywhere without the other. This is codependency that brings no result. Here, there is an obsession with trying to change your partner into someone you’d rather be with instead of loving them for who they are. Sadly, the conversations in this type of relationship are intended to blame, defend, or manipulate your partner.

    As you explore their world, you find a lot of strains and pressure. For instance, sex for the couple would be something they feel pressured over due to fear, insecurity. The feeling therefore would be as though they have to conform to the sexual desires of their partner.

    However, if what you are experiencing is true love, there would be no struggle in embracing the individuality of the other person. You are dealing with hearts that are matured, intimacy is a free choice that grows from love and trust, caring and friendship. In true love, every conversation is constructive, the hearts concerned are trying to understand and help, or convey affection to the hearts that they treasure.

  • A different kettle of fish

    Tayo is a woman with a bleeding heart. She was in a relationship for three years and had so many expectations about it. Just when she was thinking of how their lives would be together, the man walked away with a lady who lived adjacent to her house. Heartbroken, she decided not to fish for another heart again. Five months after, a brand new heart came along and the chemistry was just right. They worked in the building and they saw one another on a regular basis. They got engaged the following year and marriage plans were in top gear. Now that she had found love, she looked more radiant and attractive. Two weeks to her wedding day, she got a call from her fiancé’s cousin that he died in a car crash. She was devastated and her world came crashing like a pack of cards.

    During the week, yours truly read about the story of a woman with a similar experience. This heart just could not bear the loss and so she killed herself. It was obvious that she loved him so much and just could not imagine what life would be like without the love of her life. Can you imagine a woman jumping to her death barely an hour after her man dies? Well, that was exactly what she did.

    This 36-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping from the eighth floor of her Noida flat on Tuesday. According to Noida police and residents of Prateek Laurel in Sector 119 where the couple lived, her husband, Anurag Aggarwal (39), was rushed to Fortis Hospital following complaints of chest pain Tuesday afternoon.

    “He died in the hospital after a cardiac arrest at 2 pm. His wife, Monica Aggarwal (36), jumped from the balcony at around 3 pm. She was rushed to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. The couple have a six-year-old daughter,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Noida City) Anoop Kumar.

    Interestingly, Monica is not alone. In a similar incident that happened about a week earlier, Assistant Commissioner of Police Amit Singh allegedly shot himself with his service revolver. Upset over his death, his wife also jumped from the balcony of their fourth floor residence in Noida’s Sector 100, minutes later. Two days after the incident, she succumbed to injuries. They are survived by an 18-month-old daughter.

    Modern day Romeo and Juliet! That is what comes to mind here. Most hearts in this position do not last a day apart. Even old couples who have lived with one another for decades have shown that they are irrelevant without the heart they promised to love till death do them apart. They just cannot afford to stay on when the heart that they cherish passes away. For this group of people, it is nothing but total love.

    The first thing that comes to mind here would be how you get the best from a relationship. How do you connect with a heart that is sincere and really loves you? The crux of the matter is that there are no straight answers to these emotional questions. A lot of times, it is a game of luck, chance as well as winning the right heart.

    Experts inform that in true love, the development of self is the most important ingredient for success. In this case, what you observe is that in the relationship both parties should want the best for one another. Conversely, what you get in toxic love is quite different. Here the primary focus is on the relationship itself, sometimes the parties involved would obsess over how the two people involved interface in the relationship.

    For hearts that are liberal and genuine, the best thing you crave for is true love. Here you can be sure of comfort in separate interests. The experience would be great; you also have your own friends and meaningful relationships outside of such romantic relationships. In addition to all this, you also discover that there is excitement because you can pursue interests and ideas without fear of reprimand.

    It is a different kettle of fish with love that is toxic. Even though there is total involvement in one another’s lives, one can’t go anywhere without the other. This is codependency that brings no result. Here, there is an obsession with trying to change your partner into someone you’d rather be with instead of loving them for who they are. Sadly, the conversations in this type of relationship are intended to blame, defend, or manipulate your partner.

    As you explore their world, you find a lot of strains and pressure. For instance, sex for the couple would be something they feel pressured over due to fear, insecurity. The feeling therefore would be as though they have to conform to the sexual desires of their partner.

    However, if what you are experiencing is true love, there would be no struggle in embracing the individuality of the other person. You are dealing with hearts that are matured, intimacy is a free choice that grows from love and trust, caring and friendship. In true love, every conversation is constructive, the hearts concerned are trying to understand and help, or convey affection to the hearts that they treasure.