Beigh Irshad

Kangan October 23:(KNS) Illegal fishing in Nallah Sindh in Kangan area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district goes on unabated, and in the face of tall claims of the Fisheries department.

Miscreants use different means to catch the fishes in Nallah Sindh in different areas.

"Fishing nets, bleaching powder, electric shock and different types of hooks are being used to catch the fishes" a local source told.

Experts say that bleaching powder becomes very effective at this point of time when the water flow is slow and the water level is low.

Theye said that bleaching powder causes de-oxygenation in water and kills a large quantity of fish in the area where it is used.

Locals alleged that the fisheries department which is supposed to monitor the stream are in deep slumber or silently overseeing the wrongdoings.

Fisheries department guards who are posted in the area are nowhere to be seen, locals alleged.

The use of bleaching powder is also cruel to the fish who die a slow painful death from lack of breathing oxygen.

Several locals alleged that the miscreants who poison the stream to catch trout and other fish manage to get bleaching powder from the PHE department (Public Health and Engineering).

"The powder is available in plenty at the PHE department which uses it for chlorination of water but we fail to understand how it reaches to these miscreants" a top official of fisheries department told Valley Online.

Locals appealed to the district administration Ganderbal, the SSP Ganderbal, and the Director of the Fisheries Department to take this matter seriously, or else the entire trout population would perish from Nallah Sindh.

Earlier Assistant Director Fisheries Ganderbal, Ghulam Jeelani, had told that the department would investigate this matter but incidents increased and department failed to stop illegal fishing.(KNS)