Environmental hazard: Poisonous chemicals kill hundreds of fish in Indus

Residents used the substance to catch more fish to sell in markets.

SUKKUR: Hundreds of fish had washed ashore along river banks in Pannu Aqil on Sunday — not the result of a miracle storm but the large amounts of poison that villagers had sprinkled into the standing river water.

Every year around this time, Sukkur Barrage is shut down for maintenance and the water level downstream of the barrage becomes very low. The river dries up and large ponds are created along the bank.

Every year fishermen and villagers alike take advantage of the low water levels and sprinkle poisonous substances into the ponds, killing a large quantity of marine life that they then sell in the market. This year, everything became even easier because of the bill passed in the Sindh Assembly, which brought an end to the contractual system in fresh water.

“Since the contract system has been abolished, everybody is now involved in this lucrative business,” said wildlife department official Deedar Bhagat.

He said that residents of Soomar Panhwari and Khaderi villages, kachcha areas n Pannu Aqil, had thrown some poisonous chemicals into the newly-formed ponds and the chemicals had killed a large number of fish that had floated up and washed ashore.

Bhagat said he visited the areas, where some of the residents told him that usually the effect of this chemical lasts for just around an hour but it depends on the quantity of chemical used.

More experienced fishermen use this chemical in little quantity, which causes fish to come up to the surface but it does not kill them. When the fish are nearer to the surface, they are caught easily. Most of the villagers, however, do not know enough about the practice to use it safely. This time too, they ended up putting too much of the poisonous substance into the water, which has killed several fish and other marine life, the residents said.

People in the area said that the chemical was used on Saturday evening and by Sunday, hundreds of big and small fish had washed ashore and the villagers had picked them up to sell.

“The use of this chemical is criminal,” Bhagat told The Express Tribune. It is harmful not just for the fish and marine life but the birds, including pelicans and cranes, and other animals that drink this water.

The Indus blind dolphins remain safe because they stay where the water levels are higher and turtles are not affected by the poison since in this season they bury themselves under the mud.

People, however, are not so fortunate. Since the residents sell the poisoned fish in the market, customers who buy the fish are at a serious health risk.

Bhagat said that he had taken samples from the affected ponds and sent them to a laboratory. He also assured that the fisheries department has been informed about the incident and they will take strict action against those who are responsible.

Last year too, when the Sukkur Barrage was closed down for repairs, some of the villagers had sprinkled poisonous chemicals into one of the off-taking canals of the barrage. As a result, hundreds of fish and turtles had been killed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2011.