Kashmir: panic among locals as thousands of fish found dead on Dal Lake

Thousands of fish in the Dal Lake in Srinagar have died over the past few days with authorities blaming a sudden fluctuation in temperature in the region.

Dal Lake dwellers expressed alarm over such large-scale fish deaths even as authorities said the occurrence was an annual affair.

"I received reports about the deaths of fish in Dal Lake yesterday. We sent a team to scout the lake for samples. We found that a lot of dead fish had collected around Centaur Hotel," Deputy Director Fisheries department Rafiq Ahmad told PTI.

"It seems that the fish have died due to sudden fluctuation in temperature. This is not unusual as it happens every year. You will find similar occurrences in other lakes like Manasbal (Lake) as well," Ahmad said.

It is an annual phenomenon which affects only one type of fish, the official claimed.

Asked if there can be any other contributing factors, Ahmad said pollution could also be a contributing factor as it changes the parameters of the water. "Coupled with temperature variation, it causes mortality among the fish," he said.