Hyderabad: Dozens of dead fish surface in Lotus Pond; locals puzzled

Hyderabad: Serenity around the Lotus Pond was disturbed in the last couple of days as hundreds of dead fish surfaced, while many scattered at the shore, leaving visitors puzzled.

Passersby including those who visit the pond for morning walks captured the scene and posted videos of the floating dead fish in the pond which is claimed to be one of the cleanest water bodies in the city, on Twitter.

The incidents have been reported for the past four days while rumours are rift that the water must have been poisoned or chemicals must have been spilt into the pond water, resulting in the death of fish.

However, officials reportedly suspected that the fish might have died due to the drop in Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels in the pond which is common in the month of May as the raising temperatures decrease the water levels while sewage water dominated the pond.

Also, speculations are hinting that the incidents of fish deaths have evolved after recent rains that lashed the city last week, pushing the sewage water into the pond.

Locals staying n the area have raised complaints with the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), following which the Fisheries Department reportedly collected samples of water for testing.

As the news spread, officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) also inspected the place.

The reason behind the unusual incident still remains uncertain while the water board officials are probing the cause behind it.

Meanwhile, GHMC officials have reportedly taken the work of cleaning the dead fish from the pond while measures are being taken to eradicate the foul smell.

Measures the municipal department and water body maintenance board will take to ensure such incidence won’t repeat in future are yet to be ascertained.