OREANDA-NEWS. In 2004, Tata Chemicals (TCL), in association with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Indian Coast Guard and forest department officials took the onus of saving the world’s largest fish and near-extinct species, the whale shark, popularly known as vhali, on the coasts of Gujarat. Commemorating the success of saving more than 350 whale sharks till date, Whale Shark Mela, a two-day event, was organised in Dwarka this year by TCL, in partnership with WTI and the Marine National Park to celebrate this intrinsic aspect of Gujarat’s eco-system.

With the commencement of this celebration, a group of 21 volunteers from the Marine National Park, TCL, WTI, Rupen Bandar fishing community, Sardapeeth College and the Indian Navy carried out a cycle rally from ISKCON gate to sunset point via Teen Batti Chowk, distributing leaflets on whale shark conservation on their way.

The event also brought together local fishermen, school children from nearby villages and forest officials, who participated in activities such as tug of war, cricket tournament, rangoli competition, etc, to lend their support to the protection and conservation of whale sharks and the coral reef along Gujarat’s coastline.

Speaking on the occasion, M Ravindranath, vice president, manufacturing, TCL, said, “Tata Chemicals has a long history of social initiatives that touch upon the lives of people and communities where we operate our businesses. We strongly believe in working closely with the locals and also believe that natural surroundings should benefit from various initiatives undertaken. Since its inception, the Whale Shark Conservation Project has grown by leaps and bounds and masses’ support reflects in more than 350 whale sharks that have been saved till date, and we are proud of achieving this unique milestone. We, at Tata Chemicals, are committed to support the flora, fauna and the wildlife species, and will reiterate our company ethos by conserving nature and its rare mammals in years to come.”

Senior representatives — including the chief guest Commandant Dinesh Singh of Okha naval base, RD Kamboj, chief conservator of forest, Marine National Park, and Dr BC Choudhary, project director, WTI, each reiterated the importance of conserving the endangered species of the planet and maintaining a greener and cleaner environment for our future generations.