Dead fishes float in Ujjain's Kshipra river

Indore: Pilgrims reaching banks of Kshipra river in Ujjain on Thursday were shocked to see hundreds of dead fishes floating in the water, where crores of people took bath during Simhastha maha kumbh that concluded a month ago.
The dead fishes acted as a deterrent for people following Hindu belief, who take the Kshipra water in their mouths while performing religious rituals.The pilgrims raised an alarm, following which the district administration swung into action, attempting to find the reason for the deaths of fishes.
Experts attribute the phenomenon to sudden reduction in dissolved oxygen levels in Kshipra river, which has been centre of a controversy during Simhastha maha kumbh with elaborate arrangements made for keeping the water clean.
"We feel that the first monsoon rains have caused a lot of silting. The drainage water from different parts of Ujjain is also getting accumulated in Kshipra river, thus causing reduction in dissolved oxygen levels and causing death of fishes," Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) regional officer PK Trivedi told TOI.
The pollution control board officials claimed that they have not checked the pollution levels in Kshipra river on Thursday, to arrive at a final conclusion.
The fishes were found dead in large numbers at Gau Ghat and Ram Ghat areas. Shyam Dwivedi, a local priest, claimed that pilgrims who ventured into the water could not believe the dead fishes emerging from the muddy banks of Kshipra.
Many were seen collecting the fishes using cloths and taking them away from the ghats.
Fisheries deputy director M K Pathrolia said that he had immediately asked officials to take remedial steps and help the fishes survive.
Fisheries department officials claim that the fishes had thrived due in the clean water provided by the state government to the pilgrims. Steps like massive ozonisation were taken to keep the flowing water clean.
The Ujjain district administration had diverted water coming from Indore’s polluted Kahn river and did not allow it to mix with Kshipra river, before the latter reaches Ujjain. But in last 15 days, the water from Kahn river was again being allowed to mix with Kshipra river water.
MPPCB regional officer Trivedi claimed that the Kahn water could also have led to the death of fishes.