Express News Service
SRINAGAR: The sight of thousands of fish floating dead in Dal Lake, Srinagar since last few days has caused panic among the Dal dwellers and local fishermen. Experts have attributed the mass death of fish to thermal stratification that occurs when the surface layer of the water, warmed by the sun, becomes less dense than the water underneath it.
Whereas, the Dal dwellers believe that the deaths are due to pollution by sewage and increase in the water level of the lake. “Since the last few days we are seeing dead fish in large numbers floating at different places in the lake. A foul odour has started emanating near a spring in the lake,” said a Dal dweller Ghulam Rasool.
Vice chairman J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority Dr Bashir Ahmed Bhat said it is a type of annual affair. “The most probable reason for it is thermal stratification,” he said. Bashir said there is no need to panic as it is not unusual. “This is normal mortality of the fish.” Rejecting reports that the deaths may have been caused by pollution in the Dal Lake, he said, “The Dal water is clean. The water quality is good”.
The Dal dwellers, however, say that pollution and increase in the water level of the lake may have caused fish deaths. “The lake authorities have kept the water level up. They have not opened the gates of Dal Lake and the water level is incredibly high which might have caused oxygen related problems for the fish leading to their deaths,” they said.
Some Dal dwellers also blamed the pollution for the fish kill alleging that sewage is released into the lake. “People should avoid polluting the lake and sewage should not be released into the Dal waters,” they said adding, “The unscientific and unregulated cleaning of the lake may also be the cause of the fish deaths”.
The fishermen are worried over the fish kill situation.
“With thousands of fish deaths in Dal lake, our trade is likely going to be hit. People will now be apprehensive in buying the fish. They will prefer not to buy the fish for some time until there is some clarity from officials about the fish kill,” he said.
Experts claim rise in temp, but locals cite pollution
Experts have attributed the mass death of fish to thermal stratification that occurs when the surface layer of the water, warmed by the sun, becomes less dense than the water underneath it. Whereas, the Dal dwellers believe that the deaths are due to pollution and increase in the water level. The lake authorities have not opened the gates and the high water level might have caused oxygen related problems.
