Assam: Hundreds Of Fish Found Dead In Guwahati's Pond due to Dip in Oxygen Level

GUWAHATI:

On Sunday, hundreds of dead fish were discovered floating in the Dighalipukhuri water tank in Guwahati. A study of the obtained samples of the dead fish and the waterbody indicated that the occurrence was caused by a lack of dissolved oxygen in the tank combined with high organic toxic elements. 

Following the discovery of around 600 kilos of 400 dead fish of various species in the tank, Assam Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya instructed department personnel to visit the site and determine the reason for the mass fatalities. 

"Following the news of dead fish floating on Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati, instructed the officials of the department to visit the site and ascertain the cause of fishes' deaths," tweeted the Assam Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya. 

Officials analyzed samples of dead fish and water to determine the causes of death, which were caused by a rapid drop in oxygen levels and a high organic load. Showering with a water pump and wave motion with boats were used to enhance the oxygen content in the water, notified Suklabaidya. 

As a short-term solution, the department boosted the oxygen content in the water by showering it with water from a pump and producing wave motion using mechanized boats. 

Parimal Suklabaidya said, "Fish mortality was due to a sudden dip in oxygen level and high organic load in the tank. Departmental officers after examination found that the deaths were not due to poisoning, but because of environmental degradation."  

The Dighalipukhuri, which translates to a 'long pond' in Assamese, is a 500-meter-long pond in the Ambari district of Guwahati.

The origin of this dug-out pond, where hundreds of dead fish were discovered, is unknown. Some think it dates back to the Mahabharata period, while others say it was excavated by Ahom kings. 

This pond was formerly linked to the Brahmaputra River, which was used as a naval yard under the Ahom reign. The canal is supposed to have been filled in under British rule in India.

Boating in Dighalipukhuri is a popular tourist attraction in Guwahati.

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