Fish deaths in Satluj linked to pollution, bacterial infection: Report

Bathinda: High pollution levels and bacterial infection are linked to large-scale fish deaths reported along the Satluj earlier this month in Ferozepur, according to a lab analysis of water and fish samples.The report, released by pro-environment group Water Warriors Punjab, found elevated biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and high ammonia levels in river water, indicators of severe pollution, where the fish were found dead. Examination of dead fish revealed the presence of pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas veronii, known to thrive in oxygen-depleted conditions.The fish were found dead on April 2 along the banks of the Satluj near Gatta Badshah village, close to Harike headworks at the confluence of the Beas and Satluj rivers, in Ferozepur.Samples were collected by Water Warriors Punjab and analysed at the College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). An official from the institute confirmed the report but declined to comment on details. Experts said the combination of high ammonia, low dissolved oxygen and bacterial presence points to worsening pollution levels in the river. Activists attributed the deterioration to untreated industrial waste and effluents. "High ammonia content and low oxygen demand clearly indicate that the pollution level in the Satluj has become deadly. Our water bodies are being killed by untreated waste from industries. This is not just an environmental issue; it threatens the entire aquatic ecosystem, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of communities dependent on the river," said the Water Warriors representatives and environmental activists Manjeet Singh and Simranjeet Singh.The incident adds to recurring fish deaths reported in the Harike region, with activists repeatedly blaming polluted discharges, including from tributaries such as Buddha Dariya in Ludhiana.Water Warriors Punjab said it will submit the report to the wildlife department, World Wide Fund for Nature and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), seeking action against polluters and stricter enforcement of effluent norms.Environmentalists warned that repeated fish kills signal systemic failure in monitoring industrial and municipal discharge, and called for urgent intervention to prevent further damage to the Satluj ecosystem.