Hyderabad: A day after mass fish deaths were reported from Shamirpet Lake, the Collector of Medchal, Mr M.V. Reddy, asked the fisheries department to launch an enquiry into the issue, suspecting heat wave to be the cause. The enquiry, headed by District Fisheries Officer E. Balliah found that bacterial infection due to heat wave conditions killed the fishes in around a week.
The official figures slate that the loss would be 10,000 fishes or 10 tonnes, but locals claim the numbers are much higher. Meanwhile, those living around the lake were irked by the rotting smell and the fear of spread of diseases. They confirmed that no cleaning has taken place and that the fishes were been put aside. The Joint Director of Fisheries Department, Ratod Shankar clarified, “The cause of death of the fish in the Shamirpet Lake may be due to high temperature and low oxygen level of water in the tank.”
He also issued a number of guidelines for fishermen groups to follow to prevent such problems like harvesting fishes before morning, ensuring 2 metres of water in the tank at all times and sprinkling lime in the lake. The DFO have also ordered to identify vulnerable tanks and advise local fishermen about harvesting techniques.
