Dead fish, water hyacinth raise pollution concerns in Rankala Lake

Kolhapur: Environment activists and local residents have raised serious concerns after a large number of dead fish were discovered in the new Padpath Udyan area of Rankala Lake on Tuesday and Wednesday.They also pointed out extensive growth of water hyacinth across the waterbody. Activists allege that, instead of addressing the root causes of Rankala Lake’s pollution, the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) appears to be focused on cosmetic beautification measures aimed at boosting tourism.Rankala Conservation and Protection Committee has demanded that immediate steps be taken by the civic body to prevent water pollution. Sachin Dhanal, member of the committee, said, “For the past year, sewage from various drains like Sham Society nullah, Sarnaik Colony nullah, among others has been getting mixed into the Rankala lake. This is leading to large scale water pollution. The lake water is turning black and blue in some places and also has a foul odour.”He added, “The municipal corporation has not yet taken concrete action to prevent sewage from getting mixed. To stop this, the Rankala Conservation Committee demanded that the KMC should stop the flow of sewage into the lake. But no further action has been taken on this.”In the last two years, fish and turtles have been dying frequently in Rankala. Dhananjay Namjoshi, an animal rescuer, said, “Pollution is affecting aquatic life in large numbers. I myself have removed several dead fish and turtles from the lake. All the govt departments concerned should study this together and find out the exact cause. The KMC should immediately start removing water hyacinth before it spreads across the lake.”When contacted, a civic official, requesting anonymity, said, “A proposal to construct an STP plant over the Sham Society nullah is in progress. We will take measures to stop sewage from entering the lake.”