Gujarat coast is breeding area of whale sharks

 

Gujarat coastal region is a breeding area of the whale sharks, the largest species of fish on the planet, a study by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) says.

"The discovery and reporting of four neonatal (pup) whale sharks has confirmed that the Gujarat coast is indeed a breeding area of whale sharks," according to the study report titled 'Gujarat's Gentle Giant; Conservation of Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) in Gujarat'.

The report was released here today on the occasion of International Whale Shark Day.

Four whale shark pups have been found off Sutrapada coast in Junagadh district since March last year.

It indicates that the region is not just a whale shark 'aggregating site', but also an important 'pupping ground', the report says.

"All caught pups seemed to be between 1 and 3 months old - the size of an arm - indicating that the fish may be breeding and definitely pupping off the Gujarat coast," says the report.

In March 2013, a young pup was caught in the net of a local fisherman called Mohan Solanki in Sutrapada tehsil in Junagadh district, which was the first time WTI team found evidence that whale sharks may be breeding in the area.

Solanki released the pup before reporting it to WTI.

As per the report, the fishermen themselves started approaching WTI with information on the pups and within one month from the discovery of the first pup, WTI had reports of four pups off Gujarat coastline.

Indias first jellyfish lake discovered

Marine biologists have discovered a jellyfish lake in Gujarat, probably the first such in India.

"This is probably the first jellyfish lake to have been found in India. The concentration and density of jellyfish is very high here. You can even see them from outside during low tide and when the water is clear," wildlife scientist BC Choudhury said.

Led by him, a team of researchers from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) have recently stumbled on the jellyfish habitat during a routine field visit to a small town named Armabada in Gujarat.

A couple of WTI marine biologists in snorkeling kits and armed with an underwater camera found that the bottom of the lake, spread over 5-6 hectares, was carpeted with a type of jellyfish known as 'upside down jellyfish'. They are called so because they are found swimming upside down unlike others.

"They position themselves on their bottom side to receive maximum sunlight as they harbour photosynthetic algae called Zooxanthellae, which have a symbiotic relationship with jellyfish similar to corals," explained marine biologist S Goutham.

Another unique feature of the lake is that these jellyfish are present all around the year unlike other places where they are reported to be seasonal. According to experts, the big bloom of jellyfish in the lake might be attributed to low predation.

Jellyfish are found in different parts of coastal India but are seen rarely in lakes. The world renowned jellyfish lake is located on Eil Malk Island in Palau.

Three cheers for Ahmedabad city is racing ahead

With its robust infrastructure and strong fundamentals, Gujarat is growing at a higher pace than other Indian states. Its urban centers are now putting up infrastructure at par with the most developed regions of the world- be it the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) that won the international award or the flyovers or the reduction in pollution or the first ever tethered balloon launched here- Ahmedabad is emerging as a fast developing city. That is how it has found place in the Forbes list of World’s fastest growing city.
As the leader who led the state to this feat, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi puts it:

“So far, Gujaratis have made their second home across the world, now we invite the world to Gujarat.”

With many more upcoming projects like METRO, River front development, solid waste management and the proposed Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Ahmedabad is poised to grow at a much faster pace than ever and become a cynosure of many eyes.

Your dear Ahmedabad is growing and at a rate that has now attracted global attention. The Forbes magazine has said in a report that Ahmedabad is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and it has put Gujarat’s largest city in third rank after two Chinese cities - Chengdu and Chongqing.

Ahmedabad is India’s seventh largest city, and Forbes has placed it ahead of Chennai and Bangalore in terms of growth.The magazine has said Ahmedabad is a city ‘whose per capita income is twice that of the rest of India’.

The magazine describes Ahmedabad as “the largest metropolitan region in Gujarat, perhaps the most marketoriented and business-friendly of Indian states.” The report also states that “Gujarat’s policies helped lure away the new Tata Nano plant from West Bengal to Sanand, one of Gurajat’s exurbs.’’ It cites one Indian academic, Sedha Menon, as comparing the state - which has developed infrastructure more quickly than its domestic rivals - with Singapore and parts of Malaysia.

While surveying the ‘Next Decades’ Fastest Growing Cities’ in the world, the magazine has not focused upon established global centres like New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong or Tokyo which have dominated urban rankings. They have also not looked at cities that have achieved prominence in the past 20 years and the massive, largely dysfunctional megacities.

Ahmedabad leads the list of Indian cities ahead of Bangalore which is home to Infosys and Wipro and Chennai which has created 100,000 jobs this year, says the magazine. Ahmedabad municipal commissioner IP Gautam, when reached for comments on the Forbes report, said that Ahmedabad has been growing at a fast pace with ambitious infrastructure projects like the BRTS, Sabarmati Riverfront Development and Kankaria Lakefront. “It is also because of positive development by the state government and local governments like AMC and AUDA that Ahmedabad is seeing development at such a fast pace.

Also, the government’s proactive policies have spruced up development in the city,” said Gautam.He said Vibrant Gujarat summits have brought in a lot of projects in and around Ahmedabad and development has been put in top gear.However, an expert, on condition of anonymity, said that the report may not be correct factually. “The per capita income of the country is around $1,100 while that of Gujarat is $1,300. It is difficult to understand on what basis they have taken Ahmedabad on the list of fastest-growing cities ,” he said.

Source: narendramodi.in, DNA
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