Dead fish found at Ram Nadi-Mula confluence
In second such incident in two weeks, many dead fish were found in Ram Nadi near Mula confluence in Baner on Friday
PUNE: In the second such incident within a span of two weeks, many dead fish were found in the Ram Nadi near the Mula confluence in Baner on Friday.
The Pune River Revival Group, a citizens’ group, chanced upon the dead fish during a site visit to monitor the ongoing Riverfront Development (RFD) work. Group volunteers said that the death of the fish coupled with the destruction of the riverbank for beautification purposes highlights the urgent need to protect river ecosystems.
Prajakta Mahajan, a volunteer of the group, said, “Many fish have died at the Ram Nadi-Mula River confluence. The reason might be the broken sewage treatment plant (STP) at this location and the contaminated water getting mixed with the river water. A few days ago, many dead fish were found even in the Mutha River,” Mahajan said.
A similar incident was reported on December 23 in the Mula-Mutha River in which many dead fish of the Tilapia species were found dead on the banks of Naik Bet, an island on the river at Bund Garden. Following the incident, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on December 26 issued show cause notice to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), stating that the civic body was discharging untreated effluent into the river. The board asked the PMC to submit a response within 15 days to avoid action. However, within two more weeks, another incident was reported on Friday.
Another volunteer of the group, Amit Raj, informed that such incidents are happening frequently in the city and this is the second such incident after the incident in the Mula-Mutha River. “Today’s incident is similar to the previous incident. However, no efforts are being taken by the civic body to prevent such incidents,” he said.
He added that the PMC should take measures to prevent river pollution and set up STPs and treat all the wastewater before being released into the river. “The reason behind the death of the fish is unknown, but it is likely to be pollution due to contaminated water. The river water at this location has turned dark. We have complained to the MPCB and PMC and officials from both have visited the location and taken samples,” he said.
As per experts, the dissolved oxygen in the river decreases when the contamination in the river increases. The bacteria feed on the pollutants that have entered the water, and when their numbers increase, it leads to an increase in the demand for dissolved oxygen. This results in a large decline in the amount of dissolved oxygen available for fish and other aquatic animals, which can lead to their suffocation and death.
Mangesh Dighe, environment conservation officer, PMC, said, “The issue is under investigation and the MPCB officials have also collected samples from the river. The reason will be clear after the reports are received. However, it is unusual to see fish die in the Ram Nadi as the river hardly has a fishing area,” he said.
“It should be checked if the fish died in some other area and came to this location of the river bed. Ram Nadi is considered to be a drained river,” Dighe said.
