Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 12 Numerous fish were found dead today due to water poisoning in the Sind River of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, prompting officials to launch an investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible for this mass killing.
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On Thursday morning, local residents were appalled when they stumbled upon a large number of dead fish near the river’s shores in the Hayen area of the district. This discovery raised concerns about potential chemical contamination in the river.
As the day progressed, those fears were confirmed when the Department of Fisheries ascertained that the use of bleaching powder was responsible for the mass killing of fish. “We learned about the use of bleaching powder in the Hyen area, resulting in the deaths of numerous fish in the morning,” Assistant Director of Fisheries in Ganderbal, Salman Rouf, said.
He explains that their patrolling team was swiftly dispatched to investigate and conduct a thorough search operation in the area. After several hours of searching, a breakthrough was achieved as a bag belonging to the Jal Shakti department was discovered.
He said the bag had a batch number, which he believes is a vital clue that could lead to both the source of the chemical and the individuals responsible. “It is challenging to estimate the exact amount of powder used, but I believe the bag contains approximately 25 kilograms. In the initial incident, 2-3 kilogrammes were used, and they have used a smaller amount this time,” he said.
He further added that they had already communicated the issue to the concerned Executive Engineer of the Jal Shakti Department and conducted an inspection of their stores. “Preliminary investigations suggest that this bag was not issued to the Ganderbal Jal Shakti Department, indicating that it may have come from neighbouring areas,” he said.
Rouf said they have also taken up the matter with the local police department, urging them to conduct an extensive investigation into the matter.
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