Bengaluru
Several fish were found dead at Haralur lake in Bellandur, South-East Bengaluru, allegedly due to the entry of sewage along with rainwater in the city.
According to residents, this is the second instance of fish kill in the lake this year. “For the last couple of days, the fish in the lake are dying as a result of polluted water,” the residents here said, adding that it has been happening after the recent heavy rains.
Raghavendra B. Pachhapur, programme manager with ActionAid Association, said: “This is the fourth incident in the last five years in this lake. Every fish kill is a setback for lake ecosystem and an indication that water quality is not conducive for wildlife and fisheries. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) needs to strengthen lake water quality monitoring.”
A BBMP official from the Lake Department said, “We are cleaning the lake and the dead fish will be cleaned soon. An inspection will be conducted to find out the reason behind the fish kill.”
Recently, a report, ‘Fishkill in Lakes of Bengaluru (2017-2022)’, released by ActionAid, shows that six fish kill incidents were reported in 2017 and 2018, the numbers came down during the lockdown years between 2019 and 2021, and a total of eight instances of fish kill were reported in Bengaluru lakes within seven months of 2022, surpassing the annual fish kill numbers in the last five years.
In the last five years, 32 cases of fish kill were identified in the city.
The report identified four vulnerable lakes, which are prone to fish kill, based on the number of times of incidence. Haralur lake, in particular, has seen the most number of cases within five years. The Madiwala, Bellandur, and Kommaghatta lakes have had two incidents each.
“Cases of fish kill in Haralur lake within five years is a matter of serious concern and sewage seems to be the major reason, apart from industrial chemicals, for the fish kill,” the report stated.
