Karnataka, where the mahseer is safe…

Fishing camps along the Cauvery have helped safeguard the habitat of the mahseer. Also, most of the poachers have been rehabilitated and are employed as guides and guards to patrol the river stretch at the fishing camps, reports Susheela Nair

Hurtling from the high mountains of the Brahmagiri range in Kodagu district, the bountiful Cauvery river flows across Karnataka, snaking through forested hilly tracts and agricultural fields. Some stretches of the omnipresent Cauvery between the Shivanasamudram waterfalls and Mekedatu, shelter the giant mahseer, the legendary sport fish of India. On the banks of this stretch of the river are three fishing camps Doddamakali, six km upstream, and Galibore, 16 km downstream of Bheemeshwari and all run by the state-owned Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd (JLR). These camps are all within a few hours drive from Bangalore. Anglers from all over the world make their annual pilgrimage to these exclusively reserved stretches to pit their wits against the mahseer while non-anglers revel in nature’s bounty.

Angling history can be traced back to the pre-independent days when the British used to ‘catch-and-kill’ the mahseer. With the construction of dams in the adjoining areas, the migration of the fish was restricted and even blocked in some places.

This contributed to the decline of the mahseer population. Moreover the villagers, mostly settlers indulged in netting, poisoning and using ordinary detonator with safety fuse thus destroying all aquatic life forms including fish fingerlings.

Explains Arun Srinivasan, President, WASI, “Realising the need to safeguard the habitat of the mahseer fish and the adjoining riverine stretches of forest, Wildlife Association of South India (WASI) set up temporary fishing camps in the mid-seventies. For the past thirty years, we have been involved in the protection of this stretch of the Cauvery river.”

Bheemeshwari

Catch-and-release practice
“In the light of decreasing sizes and number of good specimens, we adopted the ‘catch-and-release’ practice, thus giving a fresh lease of life to the mighty mahseer. We have been protecting mahseer fishing by adopting conservation, stocking and management measures so as to stem the decline of mahseer population,” the WASI president adds. Subsequently JLR took over the river stretch by setting up a camp at Bheemeshwari in 1984.

The mahseer is the pride and joy of the Cauvery and Asia’s premier sporting fish. It is believed that the name has been formed from the Hindi words maha (great) and sir (head). It could equally have been derived from the Persian mahi (fish) and  sher (lion) but either way, the mahseer retains its status as king and the prize catch for all committed anglers.

In local parlance, it is known as bili meen. Catching the mahseer fish is easier said than done. The legendary fighting fish resists all attempts to catch it and there is a virtual tug-of-war between the angler and the fish for about 20-30 minutes. It can grow to over 100 lbs in weight, can easily swim upstream, against rapids, at over 20 knots, a truly spectacular sight amidst splendid scenery.

Every time a fish is caught, a camp attendant helps the angler remove it from the water, tie its mouth with a nylon rope, weigh it and pose for a photograph! And, immediately after, the rope is removed and the fish is let back into the river.

Situated on the banks of the river Cauvery, the Cauvery Fishing Camp (CFC) is an ideal picnic spot for nature enthusiasts, river lovers and a paradise for hardcore anglers. Every year, head guide of a fishing holidays company David Plummer escorts a limited number of anglers to these camps which combine the thrill of hooking one of the world’s finest game fish, the mahseer, with the rugged existence of camp life. The camp activities  revolve around the ubiquitous Cauvery river which flows sinuously through the varied terrain of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.  Birding, bonfire, coracle rides, camping one the sandy banks of the river, trekking, wildlife safaris, white water rafting and bird watching are all part of the wilderness escapade.

Conservation of the mahseer
According to N D Tiwari, IFS, Managing Director, JLR, “Besides contributing to the tourism coffers, angling tourism supports conservation of the mahseer.

“The setting up of anti-poaching camps along the river has curtailed poaching and helped in protection of the river and the aqua species. The size of the fish has grown over the years from 32 pounds to 106 pounds because of protection. Most of the poachers have been rehabilitated and are employed as gillies (guides) and guards to patrol the river stretch at the fishing camps.” Since they are familiar with every tract of the forests, know every inch of the river, where each eddy and whirlpool lies, where the fish likes to school, they have proved themselves able guides. “We help anglers with our knowledge of the waters as we are experienced fishermen ourselves,” said Bhola, a rehabilitated poacher-turned-river guide at Bheemeshwari.

Lured by the social acceptance, security and steady income and the fact that their future is intimately connected with the well-being of the endangered mahseer and its habitat, they are concerned and involved in the protection.

The Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS), another voluntary organisation engaged in protecting mahseer fishing in the Cauvery (i.e. Valnoor in Coorg district,) with a lease on 28 km of this river has been stocking young mahseer in this stretch since 1993. The CWS protects this stretch of the river, issues fishing licenses, organises sport fishing and maintains fish catch statistics.

According to AJT John Singh, eminent wildlife scientist, “If the grand old giant Tor mussullah still exists, it is only because of the farsighted conservation measures adopted  by JLR and NGOs like WASI and CWS with their unique eco-tourism and catch-and-release programmes. This is an excellent model worth emulating throughout the different ranges of different species of mahseer in the country, which would mutually benefit the fish, the habitat and the local people.”

From Deccan Herald

Where has all the flood money gone?

BANGALORE: Last year’s floods in North Karnataka, the biggest natural disaster in the state in public memory, triggered the largest fund-raising exercise, generating about Rs 1,000 crore, including Rs 500 crore collected by state government agencies.

While chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has announced that he would make public the money collected and spent by the state government during the upcoming legislature session starting June 28, one wonders where all the other money has gone.

“We recently issued notices to various NGOs and social organisations, seeking a detailed report on how they spent or are spending the money collected for flood relief. But we have had little or no response,’’ said a senior officer associated with the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He blamed the officials for it.

WHEN CASH POURED IN
Waking up from its slumber, maybe just a little late, the state government is now seriously contemplating bringing out a policy to check large-scale bungling or misuse of funds collected to provide relief to victims of natural disasters/calamities. “There is an urgent need to frame a policy to keep a check on funds raised from the public for relief and rehabilitation work. I will soon hold a meeting with experts to see what best the government can do to prevent such scams,’’ said law and parliamentary affairs minister S Suresh Kumar. Home minister V S Acharya also expressed similar views.

A week after the worst flood of the century hit the state last September-October, politicians, NGOs and social organisations were quick to raise funds and gather relief material for the affected through padayatras, donation box in hand.

According to officials, crores of rupees collected during such sundry padayatras never reached the victims, and the funds were utilised for other purposes. Not only that, money collected by these societies has been allegedly misused for personal expenses of office-bearers.

EASY MONEY
An analysis of accounts shows that in 2009, a Bangalore-based social organisation collected donations amounting to Rs 2.16 lakh for flood relief, but spent only Rs 300 out of it. The remaining funds were diverted for other purposes.

Likewise, several lakhs of rupees collected by organisations in the name of tsunami, Orissa cyclone and Gujarat earthquake were also not sent to the victims. It’s not that everybody and anybody can collect funds from the public. There is a stringent law to check arbitrary collection of funds, and police officials have limited this authority only to keep a tab on fraudulent elements during Ganesha festivities.

As per law, those organizations that want to collect funds from the public for a special or noble cause should seek the permission of the police. While grating permission, the police should verify the track record of the organizations and also be satisfied with their commitment and integrity to the cause.

manu.aiyappa@timesgroup.com

Malaysian company mulling Rs. 4,500 crore tourism project in Mangalore

Karnataka Tourism Department’s eco-tourism wing Jungle Lodges and Resorts planned to build seven more resorts in the State, Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy said on Thursday.

The new resorts would come up in the next two years and involved an investment of Rs. 30 crore, he told reporters after inaugurating the new office of the Jungle Lodges and Resorts here.

The Centre had sanctioned Rs. 24 crore for the project and the State would bear the remaining cost, Reddy said.

The State has received an overwhelming response to the Acqua Marine Park it proposed to set up at Mangalore for which Request for Proposal (RFP) was floated recently.

He said a Malaysia-based company had come forward to invest over Rs. 4,500 crore to set up an integrated Tourism Project in and around Mangalore on the lines of Singapore under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The department has asked the firm to present a detailed project report, he said.

From THE HINDU

Hubli-Illegal mining: Plea to hasten probe

HUBLI: Environmentalists have urged the central government to speed up the CBI inquiry into illegal mining in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources president S R Hiremath and A S Salanki of Jan Vikas Andolan told reporters here on Saturday that money from illegal mining had led to corruption and power politics.

“There is an immediate need to curb illegal mining by ending the nexus between politicians, officials and miners,” Hiremath said.

Investigating agencies should also look into allegations of tax evasions and violations under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

“The inquiry into illegal mining by several companies, including the Obalapuram Mining Company and Bellary Iron Ore Private Ltd, began well but it stopped because of a stay order issued by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra and the Union governments should work towards vacating the stay,” Salanki said.

Hiremath said they would urge the seven-member multi-disciplinary team constituted by Andhra Pradesh government to expedite survey of the mines and the inter-state border. “We will also urge Karnataka CM to join this initiative,” Hiremath said.

From TOI

India: Karnataka Govt to bring in ordinance on Horticulture varisty

Bangalore Jan 29: The Karnataka Cabinet, which met here today decided to issue an ordinance to establish a Horticulture University to be set up in Bhagalkot, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar informed here today.

Speaking after the meeting he said an Ordinance would be issued for the Horticulture University at Bagalkot in northern Karantaka.

He said the decision followed after the Bill for the proposed University could not be brought in before the legislature, earlier.

He said the Cabinet had approved introducing Science and Commerce courses in 437 Pre-University Colleges in the state, where only Arts subjects were being taught. The cabinet also approved the release of Rs 175 crore to appoint 2018 lecturers and equip the PU colleges with science labs.

The cabinet also extended the tenure of Justice Jagannath Shetty Inquiry Commission into Police firing on farmers at Haveri, Justice A J Sadashiva Commission on SC and ST and Justice Somashekhar Commission on Church attacks in Karantaka till March 3 this year.

Enhancement of Freedom Fighters Pension from the present Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 effective from this month, also got the cabinet nod.

It was also decided to introduce Electronic Payment to the beneficiaries of various schemes under Social Security Schemes including Old-age, Widow and Physically Challenged persons on pilot basis in Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Dharwad district.

The state cabinet also decided to release Rs 7.20 crore to replace the 40-year-old Crust Gates of Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir across Cauvery river. Replying to questions, the minister said the cabinet also decided to drop cases against sugarcane farmers in five taluks and withdraw criminal cases filed against senior BJP legislator C T Ravi during the last Lok Sabha elections.

From Mangalorean