Baramulla, Aug 17: Thousands of lifeless fish were found in the Bael Haraan Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday morning, with locals pointing fingers at unidentified individuals allegedly using bleaching powder. However, the officials said they are probing the incident to ascertain the exact cause of the unfortunate occurrence.
A fisheries department official said that authorities are diligently examining whether the death of the fish can be attributed to the use of bleaching powder, oxygen depletion exacerbated by scorching temperatures, or unusual rainfall patterns.
The death of thousands of fish has spurred concerns and garnered attention from both local residents and officials.
The locals alleged that the Fisheries Department’s room for local staff at Ningli Ghat remained shut for the past two months which led to the death of fish. The local fishermen had been employing bleaching powder for fishing purposes in the Wular side of Sopore, they alleged.
Expressing distress over the significant loss to the Mahigeer community, the residents have made a fervent appeal to district authorities to intervene and take stringent action against those responsible.
Ajaz Ahmad Dar, a senior citizen from the village Tarzoo Tehsil Khoie, while emphasising the gravity of the situation said that “unidentified individuals resorting to bleach powder to kill fish demands immediate attention from the administration”.
Inspector Abdul Hamid Yatoo of the Fisheries Department told Rising Kashmir that the incident could be attributed to multiple factors, including oxygen depletion due to irregular rains and the potential diversion of an irrigation canal. He acknowledged the existence of bleach powder use within the community, citing instances where individuals clandestinely employ it to capture fish.
Yatoo highlighted the department’s proactive measures like collaborating with mosque committees and local leaders to discourage the use of bleach powder. “Such practices are not only ecologically harmful but also morally reprehensible. There should be a ban on bleach powder,” he said.
While the availability of bleach powder in the market is restricted, Inspector Fisheries acknowledged that a handful of individuals illicitly procure it to conduct fish-catching activities, which often leads to unintended ecological consequences.
