Hundreds of fish dying in Rewalsar lake

Mahesh Chander Sharma

Sundenagar, May 26

Hundreds of fish have died in the Rewalsar wetlands in the past two days due to water toxicity, posing a serious threat to other aquatic fauna.

According to residents, due to first spell of rain, polluted water has entered into the lake from various spots. Yesterday, hundreds of fish were seen floating in the lake.

Members of a local NGO along with staff members of the Nagar Panchayat, Rewalsar, removed the fishes from the lake and buried them in a ditch. “The main cause of the fish mortality is water contamination,” they said.

Naresh Kumar, president of the Development Action Group, a local NGO, which has launched the “Save Rewalsar Lake campaign”, said thousands of fish die every year but the role of the nagar panchayat and other officials was confined to help local residents in disposing of the fishes.

Many studies have revealed that Rewalsar wetlands are under strain due to pollution, siltation, encroachment and overgrowth of weeds. Even the waste water from kitchens and toilets situated around the lake directly flow in to lake and due to it the dissolved oxygen level had gone down in lake due to pollution in lake. Further, monastery, a gurdwara and a temple are located on the banks of the wetlands. Devotees, especially Buddhists, feed the aquatic creatures.

According to the Secretary of the Development Action Group, an NGO, Om Parkash, their organisation has already submitted a special report to the government pertaining to the conservation of the Rewalsar Lake

The NGO said there was an immediate need to take steps so that pollution level of the lake could be checked.