Tata Power Launches Humpback Mahseer Program

The intent is to list the Humpback Mahseer with its scientific name, “Tor Remadevii”, on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to aid future conservation efforts.

Country’s largest integrated power company, Tata Power has launched the Humpback Mahseer Project as part of its four-decade freshwater fish conservation program.

The intent is to list the Humpback Mahseer with its scientific name, “Tor Remadevii”, on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to aid future conservation efforts.

The Humpback is the largest known species of Mahseer and, across the world, is only found in the Kaveri river basin. Very little is known about this elusive fish, and achieving its scientific name is a key step in placing it on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

To further this cause, Tata Power held an educational drive for 800 school children in Bengaluru and Mysore. A unique state-of-the-art stream model was custom-designed to explain how rivers work, the ecosystem services they provide and the effects of human activities on them.

The students learnt the effects of construction of dams, regulated flows, deforestation, drought, pollution and sediment transport on various river water species. Lectures on the importance of smaller critters of the freshwater ecosystem were held. To make them more interactive, drawing competitions were also conducted.

Commenting on the development, Tata Power, ED & COO, Ashok Sethi said, “Tata Power believes in sustainability as a way of life. Having pioneered conservation for this river icon four decades ago, we will continue to educate on the importance of saving Humpback Mahseer and reducing the ecological destruction that’s contributing to its endangerment. We look forward to engaging with more schools and children to spread awareness about this mighty fish.”

The company successfully manages a Mahseer breeding facility in the northern Western Ghats.

The unique coalition between Tata Power and Mahseer Trust, the Kaveri Mission, has undertaken surveys that are being conducted in many tributaries of the Kaveri River for the Humpback Mahseer.