Fish farmers suffer huge loss as farm ‘poisoned’ in Pulwama
Families demand investigation, action against involved persons
Pulwama : In a shocking act of enmity, unidentified miscreants allegedly poisoned a fish farm in Gongoo area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, causing a loss of lakhs of rupees to the owners.
According to official sources, unknown individuals knowingly or unknowingly washed their utensils used for spraying pesticides or fungicides in the water that is the source fresh water to the fish farmer resulting in the death of thousands of fishes.
They said that this is the third incident that has occurred at the same farm during the last few years.
This fish farm is being run by four families who are entirely dependent on the farm for their livelihood.
These families along with relatives have urged authorities to launch a thorough investigation and take strict action against those responsible.
They emphasized that the financial setback is substantial and demanded that the case be treated as a priority.
“We were expecting good returns on Eid but our entire hard work has gone waste due to which we are in very bad condition,” they added.
They requested Deputy Commissioner Pulwama and SSP Pulwama to direct concerned officials to investigate the matter at an earliest and crack the case.
Meanwhile, an official said that police has already registered a case in this regard and investigation has been taken up.
“We had already raised alarm about the indiscriminate disposal of waste and the introduction of poisonous substances into water bodies that are posing severe threats to aquatic life, particularly fish populations,” officials said.
The Fisheries Department has once again urged the local population to adopt responsible waste disposal methods and refrain from dumping pesticides, chemicals, and solid waste into water resources.
“These water bodies are not just vital for aquatic life but also serve as primary sources of drinking water. Keeping them free from contamination is crucial for both ecological balance and economic sustainability,” they said.
