Thousands of fish floating dead in Dal Lake was a scary sight for every conscious person. It rightly caused panic among people and there have been calls for finding reasons beyond the official version, a sudden fluctuation in temperature in the region. Officials maintain that it was not unusual as it happens “every year”.
In 2012, hundreds of fish died in Nigeen Lake mainly due to change in physico-chemical parameters propelled by high pollution levels. In 2010, death of fish in large numbers was witnessed in Wular Lake in north Kashmir.
Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), as per reports, has said that there was a fluctuation in temperature in the past few days which caused it and that there was no need to panic. It says samples have been collected and are being analysed to find out reasons, leading to the death of fish, mostly fingerlings. However locals have said that deaths were “unprecedented”.
As per experts, such incidents have also taken place earlier in Dal and Nigeen lakes. If waters are stagnated or organic, waste level is high, and fish mortality can happen, the experts say.
They say the high nutrient load due to eutrophication, excessive weeds coupled with low oxygen seems to be the possible reason for fish kill.
Harmful algal toxins can also complicate the situation and can be an addendum to the already present factors, they pointed out. Shallow lakes seldom stratify and can’t be a conclusive ground for fish kill.
They stressed on the need to investigate and analyse water and fish samples for finding reasons leading to the deaths.
The deaths have also affected the livelihood of thousands of people who are directly or indirectly dependent on the sale of fish. Some consumers are not inclined to even purchase fresh fish available in the market, thereby affecting the sellers. There have even been calls on social media by self proclaimed experts, asking people not to consume the fish for a few days.
Amid this, there is a need to set up an expert committee comprising members from Kashmir University, SK University of Agricultural Sciences of Kashmir and fisheries department. Also the Pollution Control Board needs to examine the samples of the water body at several places. While ‘fluctuation of temperate’ has been ascribed to deaths by the fisheries department, there is a need to examine the reason for it as the same would prevent such mass deaths in future.
