Fish death in lakes: NGT issues notices to BBMP, pollution control board

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the BBMP, Karnataka Pollution Control Board, and Central Pollination Control Board over multiple incidents of fish deaths across lakes in Bengaluru, and sought replies from these agencies.

The principal bench of the NGT, headed by its chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, took suo motu cognizance of news reports about fish kill incidents in different lakes in the IT city.

As per media reports, Bengaluru witnessed as many as 61 fish kill incidents between 2017 and 2023. Detailed analysis reveals four lakes with multiple fish kills in the given period have exclusive sewage treatment plants (STPs). These include Bhattarahalli, Munnekolala, Chelekere and Iblur lakes, said the NGT order.

The tribunal said that in 2023 alone, 20 episodes of fish kills were observed in 15 waterbodies, with multiple incidents reported from the Kothanur, Kundalahalli and Bhattarahalli lakes. The water quality analysis of these lakes show that sewage was the primary cause of all these incidents.

Media reports states that these lakes are situated around the 110 villages with no UGD (underground) connection. The bench noted from the analysis that nine out of the 15 lakes that recorded these incidents in 2023 had water quality under class 'E' for several months. This points to untreated sewage being the main reason behind fish kills in these lakes.

The news reports raises substantial issues relating to compliance of the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment.

The notices also issued to the principal secretary, Department of Fisheries, and deputy commissioner and district magistrate, Bengaluru.

The matter has been transferred to the Southern Zonal Bench of the NGT. The matter is listed for July 26.