National Times Bureau :- Residents of Rama village in Bathinda are alarmed after the continuous death of fish in a local pond over the past several days. An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 fish have perished, filling the area with a foul stench and raising fears of potential disease outbreaks.
Villagers say the fish had originally entered the pond through canal water years ago and were being reared locally, fed with flour and other food, leading their numbers to grow into the thousands. Now, nearly all have died. Locals suspect the cause to be contamination from sewage water allegedly released into the pond.
Following the incident, villagers used tractor-trolleys to remove the dead fish from the water. However, officials from the sewerage department denied discharging any waste into the pond and assured that an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the mass deaths.
