More dead fish found near Harike

Bathinda: Three days after a large number of fish was found dead on the banks of the Satluj near the Harike headworks, activists from pro-environment organization Water Warriors and farmers discovered more carcasses floating on both sides of the river in Gatta Badshah village in Bathinda district on Sunday morning.Residents and activists have demanded immediate testing of water samples, removal of the dead fish to mitigate health hazards, and strict accountability to prevent future occurrences. Punjab Pollution Control Board member secretary Lavneet Dubey said samples of water from the area and dead fish have been collected and sent for examination. Locals described the riverbank as a disaster zone, saying the overwhelming stench of decaying fish is disrupting daily life. They attribute the ecological damage to contaminated effluents being discharged into the river. Manjeet Singh, founder of Water Warriors, Punjab, told TOI after a site visit that the Satluj's major tributaries are heavily polluted with heavy metals, which he identified as the primary cause of the widespread mortality. "This area is near the Harike headworks, a site monitored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as one of the few locations supporting rare river dolphins," Singh said. "We fear the declining dolphin population is directly linked to this ongoing pollution; the same toxins killing the fish are devastating the entire aquatic ecosystem." Singh warned that the organisation would approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court if concrete action is not taken against polluters immediately. The Harike wetland is of immense ecological significance, serving as a vital habitat for migratory birds and endangered species. MSID:: 130039479 413 |