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News18
3 days ago
- News18
Godavaris iconic Pulasa fish now faces scarcity
Agency: PTI Amaravati, Jul 21 (PTI) Every monsoon season, for about two months, a small fish called Pulasa, which swims upstream into the distributaries of the mighty Godavari river from the Bay of Bengal to spawn and breed, creates a gastronomic stir in the scenic Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh. But, sadly this fish has become rare in recent times. Known as Pulasa in Telugu and Hilsa Ilisha in English, this migratory anadromous fish species is a prized delicacy, which commands a fortune and the spicy curry made out of it is fondly presented to politicians, bureaucrats, celebrities and eminent people as a goodwill gesture during a brief window of time. B Gopal Rao (44) from Dowleswaram in East Godavari district lamented this scarcity, fondly recalling that he had relished pulasa curry more often during his childhood than now. Such is the popularity of Pulasa curry that it inspired the Telugu maxim 'pustelu ammiaina pulasa tinali', which translates to one should eat pulasa even by selling the 'mangalsutra'. S Angeli, additional director of Fisheries Department, noted that the overwhelming demand and excessive fishing of pulasa for its lip-smacking taste is putting the species at risk as they cannot be bred artificially like other fish through aquaculture for consumption. Over time, hilsa catch is increasing in the sea and plummeting in the rivers. It was abundant in the 1990s, but gradually diminished over the years to very low levels today. As per Elsevier, a 145-year-old Dutch scientific journal, decreasing water discharge from upstream rivers, heavy siltation, indiscriminate exploitation of juveniles, disruption of migration routes and loss of spawning, feeding and nursery grounds, coupled by overfishing is contributing to their drop in riverine prevalence. For a fish enjoying such preeminent status in the local Godavari cuisine, comparable to the caviar in Continental cuisine, Angeli said a strict ban on catching juvenile pulasa is imperative. She stressed the need for a focused study on the spawning grounds of hilsa in the Godavari River to declare them as protected areas. Further, she suggested adopting the polluter pays principle (PPP) and establishing a floating laboratory on Godavari River as part of conservation efforts, among other much-needed initiatives. According to Angeli, pulasa fish enter the Godavari river during the flood season, swim upstream against the strong current for thousands of kilometres of marine sea water to lay eggs. 'This migration and spawning process occurs between June and August. After laying eggs, they (hilsa or pulasa fish) return to the sea around October. Pulasa fish undergoes a transformation in taste and color when they enter the freshwaters of the Godavari," Angeli told PTI. She noted that the pulasa fish found in the delta are also particularly flavorful, especially in areas where the fresh Godavari river water mixes with seawater near Narsapuram in West Godavari district. The blending of freshwater and saltwater (estuarine conditions) gives pulasa its unique taste, she said, and added that the fisherfolk classify female pulasa as 'chenal' and male as 'goddu'. 'The female fish is especially prized for its richer taste and commands a higher price. Though the fish has many bones, its preparation is key—traditionally cooked in clay pots over firewood. Pulasa tastes better after sitting for several hours," said the additional director. Angeli explained that Pulasa fish caught near Yanam and Kotipalli are cheaper as they have just entered the river from the sea and those caught from Kapileswarapuram and Alamuru are a bit pricy. But, the most expensive are the ones caught near Dowleswaram and Pottilanka, owing to their rich flavour. 'The cost of an authentic pulasa fish will range up to Rs 10,000 and it will be around 1 kg at maximum. The pulasa caught between Bobbarlanka and Dowleswaram is the best," said Gopal Rao. Gopal Rao said the renowned curry is prepared with a blend of ingredients, which include 'avakaya' (mango) pickle oil, ladies finger, and savoured the day after its preparation. 'We used to cook it on Saturday night, keep it aside and savour it on Sunday afternoon," he said. In 2018, Elsevier paper 'Biology and fisheries of Hilsa shad in Bay of Bengal' observed that hilsa is widely distributed in the North Indian Ocean and majorly in the Bay of Bengal. Though the species is found in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, Bangladesh accounts for the lion's share of hilsa catch. VV Rao, former additional director in the Fisheries Department said the tastiest pulasa is found only in the Godavari river and attributed this to the fish acquiring the characteristics crucial for its distinctive flavour during its brief sojourn in these waters. According to Elsevier, Hilsa enjoys great demand and exerts socio-cultural influences in West Bengal, prompting it to import the fish from Bangladesh to meet local demand and supplement its own catch. With several instances of Bangladesh engaging in 'hilsa diplomacy' with India, the neighbouring country also exported consignments of the fish as a gift to West Bengal during Durga Puja festival. Besides satiating the taste buds, pulasa is also a goldmine of nutrition, containing essential and poly-unsaturated fatty acis, lipids, minerals and amino acids, the publishing company said. PTI STH ROH (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 09:45 IST News agency-feeds Godavaris iconic Pulasa fish now faces scarcity Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Conservation plan for Yamuna floodplain wetlands gets nod
New Delhi: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), an apex body to take measures for rejuvenating the Ganga and its tributaries, has approved proposals for conserving and sustainably managing floodplain wetlands of the Yamuna river in Delhi, and preparing the Urban River Management Plan (URMP) for thenational capital. The URMP aims at rejuvenating the Yamuna and integrating sustainable water governance into the city's master plan. It is one of the key components of the River Cities Alliance (RCA), launched in 2021 to rejuvenateurban rivers. A note on the decisions of the NMCG's executive committee, sent to different central ministries and state govts on July 16, shows that the project on wetlands will focus on all wetlands within a 10 km buffer of the Yamuna by conducting a comprehensive inventory and assessment of its floodplain. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi "The initiative aims to strengthen the management of these ecosystems and enhance the overall health of the river system," said the note, adding that a committee comprising Wetland Authority of Delhi, Union environment ministry, Delhi Development Authority, NMCG and Wetland International South Asia would be set up to oversee the smooth implementation of the project. Preparing a wetlands map at 1:10,000 scale and decadal (20 years) wetland change data; creating wetlands inventory data (physical feature, hydrological regimes and ecological data) for all surveyed wetlands, wetlands ecosystem health cards, wetlands prioritisation matrix and management plans for prioritised wetlands; and training of wetland managers will be the key components of the wetland conservation project. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) will be the implementing agency of URMPs in RCA member cities, including Delhi. The project will be completed by Dec next year. The Delhi URMP will have a component of 'safe re-use of treated water'. IIT-Delhi will support the URMP preparation process through the Centre of Excellence (CoE) set up under the NMCG-IITD Dutch collaboration for intelligent river system and clean Ganga. Under the RCA, NMCG had in April approved an action plan for 145 cities, located along different rivers, for keeping stretches of their respective rivers healthy and sustainable as part of the river-sensitive urban development. The plan covers cities such as Agra, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Jhansi, Dehradun, Haridwar, Patna, Ranchi, Howrah, Pune, Nashik, Chennai, Hyderabad, Udaipur, Bhubaneshwar, Surat, Thiruvunanthapuram and Visakhapatnam. Of the 145 cities, 14 are in Uttarakhand, 25 in UP, 20 in Bihar, 14 in Jharkhand, 32 in West Bengal. The remaining 40 are in other states. Kanpur, Ayodhya, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Moradabad, and Bareilly - have already developed their URMPs, setting the benchmark for other urban centres. Twenty-five more URMPs will be prepared this year. It will be part of creating 60 such plans across India at the cost of more than Rs 21 crore by Dec 2026.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
41st anniversary of The Times of India, Bengaluru: From expansive spaces in colonial compounds to finding space in apartment corners, city's ornamental gardens have changed over time
When Priya Mascarenhas relocated to Bengaluru as a newlywed nearly five decades ago, every house, big or small, had a garden. She distinctly recalls how roses blooming in the neighbourhood would leave her spellbound during her strolls. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'My mother-in-law kept a lovely rose garden surrounded by a lot of flowering plants, bushes, and shrubs. For my birthday celebration, my husband surprised me with a bouquet of 200 red roses,' reminisces Priya, who has received accolades for her ornamental gardening. Back then, the city had gardeners trained by the British. 'They were very good with their hands and did a good job with the manuring and pruning,' said Priya. Priya's 150-year-old home in Richards Town now features a splendid ornamental garden spread across half an acre, offering an extensive array of heliconias, vines, water plants, roses, and shrubs, while Buddha statues add a zen vibe to the space. She particularly enjoys growing ornamental plants, with lantanas, monstera and verbenas being her most cherished varieties. An avid gardener, Priya would get plants from all over Europe and South America while setting up her garden. 'Now we have better plants available in Bengaluru,' she said. For instance, she could easily arrange fresh Dutch roses to commemorate her husband's death anniversary recently. Bengaluru's tradition of home gardens dates to the 17th century. Those gardens represented a unique fusion of British and Indian gardening practices, featuring diverse indigenous species alongside decorative foreign plants. Over the past four decades, the ornamental gardening scene has undergone a substantial transformation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Driven by the increasing number of plant nurseries and skilled landscape architects, the city marks a striking departure from the colonial-era British garden designs and now boasts meticulously maintained ornamental gardens that meet international benchmarks. 'There has also been a shift over time to more variegated plants. Those with pretty leaves, but no flowers, are much in demand these days. Unlike seasonal flowering plants, they look good all year, though they don't support other biodiversity such as birds and butterflies in the same way,' said Harini Nagendra, author of Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future. Most of those trimmed hedge plants are also recent additions to Bengaluru's ornamental garden scene, added Harini, who is also the director of the School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University. Amid the rise of multi-storey residential buildings with limited garden spaces, many are choosing to have ornamental plants, notes Radhika Srinivasan, a Bengaluru-based interior design consultant. A wide variety of plants, including Queen Victoria Agave, Petunia, Star Cactus, Tangled Heart Plant, String of Pearls and Mother-in-Law's Tongue (commonly known as Snake Plant), enhance the beauty of Bengaluru's home gardens, complemented by well-manicured lawns and stone-lined pathways. 'In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, people have developed heightened awareness about their surroundings. Indoor and outdoor ornamental plants enhance the aesthetic appeal of residential spaces significantly,' said Radhika. Kunal Dammala, a 34-year-old software engineer at Infosys, fell in love with roses as they are easy to grow and don't require much sunlight. Kunal grows 60 varieties of roses on his 400-sq-ft terrace. 'Ornamental plants, in general, are excellent for landscaping as well,' stated Kunal, a huge fan of the foliage and flowering plants at the Kempegowda International Airport, Terminal 2. Interestingly, Harini points out that even as ornamental spaces have incorporated exotic plants, native herbs thrive in home gardens across the city. A growing trend involves setting up ready-made ornamental gardens. 'Grown-up plants that are 15-20 feet high are brought in and replanted in home gardens,' says Priya. Anyone can maintain a flourishing decorative garden, including individuals who lack gardening experience or have limited time for plant care. Online platforms such as UrbanMali provide access to expert gardening services, including setting up new gardens, upkeep, and renovation of existing ones. Individuals also frequently engage gardeners to handle essential tasks. Some, like Priya, however, prefer to do most of these tasks by themselves. When scientists join hands Bhuvana Sharma, a lead scientist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms Indigenisation of Diagnostics programme (CCAMP InDx), has been associated with Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) in Hebbal for the last five years. She has done extensive studies on ornamental and indoor plants. Her research interests include developing superior quality ornamental plant seeds. 'Popular varieties include chrysanthemum, mosquitorepellent aloe vera, and various Vastu plants,' she says. GKVK maintains a seed outlet where the public can purchase quality-verified seeds, including ornamental varieties. The seed project department conducts thorough quality verification, testing germination rates and protein content. 'We are also exploring the possibility of using ornamental plants for rangoli and fabric dyeing,' says Bhuvana. There is a significant demand for Indian ornamental plant resources internationally and GKVK supplies seeds to many countries, including Dubai, Sweden, Japan, and Australia. Discussions are under way regarding a potential collaboration with Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Bhuvana told TOI. Harini advocates planting trees in urban public spaces rather than creating ornamental gardens and prefers trees that require less water, making them a more environmentally sustainable choice for city landscapes. 'Ornamental gardens require significant quantities of water. Scarce groundwater, often delivered through water tankers, are used to water them. Additionally, pesticides are widely used in ornamental gardens, making them environmentally unsustainable,' Harini explained. Home gardeners, however, are increasingly opting for organic manure and insecticides. Many use harvested rainwater to nurture their plants. Odette Katrak, an environmentalist and passionate gardener, follows sustainable gardening practices. 'I've six mini gardens. I water my plants with recycled water used for washing vegetables, fruit, pulses and rice. The gardens thrive on homemade compost, while I protect the plants using a natural pesticide solution prepared by mixing crushed garlic and chilli with water,' she opined. Odette, who lives in an apartment, delights in the fragrance of her blooms while experiencing a connection with the natural world.
