Hundreds die after water in Lotus Pond, Cubbon Park, gets polluted

Hundreds die after water in Lotus Pond, Cubbon Park, gets polluted

Bangaloreans received a long-awaited break from the heat as the city experienced heavy rains yesterday.

However, as the city rejoiced, the rains have resulted in a large number of deaths of rare varieties of fish at the Lotus Pond in Cubbon Park.

Experts blame the Horticulture Department for negligence, which resulted in the death of hundreds of fish.

According to experts, this is not the first time that it has happened. Two years ago, ducks and geese, which were in the pond also died after the water, got polluted.

Commenting on the death of the fish, Justice MF Saldanha said, "I have been coming to this pond for the last ten years and taking care of it.
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I have been repeatedly requesting the authorities to clean up the tank at least once a month but so far nothing has been done. If they had cleaned it up, the fish wouldn't have died."
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Refuting allegations of negligence, Aswath, Joint director, Horticulture Department said, "We had let few fishes 8 to 10 years ago in the pond.

They had multiplied and the population increased beyond the pond's capacity thus the oxygen level decreased and the fish died. We keep cleaning this pond and even few months ago we had cleaned it."

Saldanha fears that moreu00a0 than hundred fish may die soon, as many were rushing to the surface of the water due to the lack of oxygen in the pond.
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"Most of the fish dead were one and a half year old and most of them were female fish which were in the stage of laying eggs to breed," he said.

MiD DAY investigated into the situation and this reporter found the pond to be in a dismal condition. The fence of the pond on one side, which collapsed a year ago, was yet to be fixed.

"There is rampant corruption in the horticulture department," Saldanha alleged requesting the government to hand over Cubbon Park and Lalbagh to the public by forming a committee, which can take care much better than the Horticulture Department.

The pond and its environs are home to hens, cocks, ducks, guinea fowls and geese. The pond is also home to the Muscovy duck.

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