As govt fails to act, locals join hands to clear fishkill at lake
TNN | Jun 9, 2019, 04.10 AM IST
Chennai: A day after TOI reported how tons of fish at Tiruneermalai lake had died and floated for days spreading unbearable stench, the locals joined hands and removed the fishkill.
With no sign of government assistance to clear the stinking trash, about 40 people from the western suburb off the Chennai Bypass joined hands on Saturday and removed the fishkill and buried it in a pit created within the lake.
Fiheries department officials, however, collected samples from the lake to ascertain the reason for the fishkill.
Thirunageshwaran, assistant director of fisheries in Kancheepuram, who contacted TOI on Saturday, said the chief minister and chief secretary were aware of the fishkill. “Moreover, District Fish Farmers Development Agency has no connection with the lake maintained by PWD,” he said. Later, a person claiming to be an advocate representing DFFDA, called TOI and queried why the assistant director of fisheries was being questioned. Fisheries minister D Jayakumar said the issue would be inquired. Neither Kancheepuram collector P Ponniah nor Thiruneermalai town panchayat officials were available for their reactions.
When contacted, director of fisheries GS Sameeran said the department had initiated steps to bring Thiruneermalai lake under the DFFDA. “We have collected the samples from lake and sent it for testing to Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University to find the reason on why the fishkill happened,” he said. It appears high temperature and inadequate water were the reasons, he added.
Former vice-chairman of Thiruneermalai town panchayat T Jayakumar said about three tonnes of fish was cleared by volunteers.
“We dug a 2m deep pit in the lake and buried the fish. Except for an earthmover provided by the local body, we did not get any government support,” he said.
TNN | Jun 9, 2019, 04.10 AM IST
Chennai: A day after TOI reported how tons of fish at Tiruneermalai lake had died and floated for days spreading unbearable stench, the locals joined hands and removed the fishkill.
With no sign of government assistance to clear the stinking trash, about 40 people from the western suburb off the Chennai Bypass joined hands on Saturday and removed the fishkill and buried it in a pit created within the lake.
Fiheries department officials, however, collected samples from the lake to ascertain the reason for the fishkill.
Thirunageshwaran, assistant director of fisheries in Kancheepuram, who contacted TOI on Saturday, said the chief minister and chief secretary were aware of the fishkill. “Moreover, District Fish Farmers Development Agency has no connection with the lake maintained by PWD,” he said. Later, a person claiming to be an advocate representing DFFDA, called TOI and queried why the assistant director of fisheries was being questioned. Fisheries minister D Jayakumar said the issue would be inquired. Neither Kancheepuram collector P Ponniah nor Thiruneermalai town panchayat officials were available for their reactions.
When contacted, director of fisheries GS Sameeran said the department had initiated steps to bring Thiruneermalai lake under the DFFDA. “We have collected the samples from lake and sent it for testing to Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University to find the reason on why the fishkill happened,” he said. It appears high temperature and inadequate water were the reasons, he added.
Former vice-chairman of Thiruneermalai town panchayat T Jayakumar said about three tonnes of fish was cleared by volunteers.
“We dug a 2m deep pit in the lake and buried the fish. Except for an earthmover provided by the local body, we did not get any government support,” he said.
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