Shahpur village to have ‘mahseer’ farm

Our Correspondent

Kangra, October 8

The state government has taken steps to conserve mahseer, endangered species, by developing artificial breeding habitat, popularly known as “machials”.

The state Forest Corporation Vice-Chairman, Kewal Singh Pathania, said Rs 14 lakh would be spent on “machial”, to be constructed at Nalleti village in Shahpur constituency, for the conservation of mahseer. The foundation stone of it was laid by him yesterday.

He said the Government of India had approved the state government’s proposal of setting up a national mahseer fish farm in the state involving financial assistance of Rs 2 crore.

Kewal Singh said the state government was committed to preserving mahseer and under the Blue Revolution programme each village moving in the direction of conservation of mahseer would be provided Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for the breeding of mahseer.

Pathania said a hatchery would be developed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh in villages where mahseer was found and conserved. He said the government had fixed a budget of Rs 11 crore for fish farming in the state.

In recent years due to the proximity of mahseer to human habitats, mahseer is facing multifaceted dangers posed by the construction of dams, barrages, weirs across the rivers and over-exploitation. The unchecked fishing and destructive fishing devices have adversely affected the riverine population, the construction of dams are acting as a barrier to this migratory species, tending to prevent their access to their usual breeding and feeding grounds.

The ever-diminishing catches of mahseer from the Satluj, Giri, Beas, Chenab and their tributaries clearly indicate towards the effects caused by the construction of Pandoh, Chamera, Pong, Bhakra and Giribata barrages.