Chandigarh, July 20
Poachers have struck yet again, this time on aquatic life in Punjab. In a shocking incident of gross disregard for animal life, several thousands of fish have been done to death due to severe poisoning of river waters in Gurdaspur.
Ironically, this happened during the breeding season when fishing by all means is banned. Even contractors cannot fish during July and August which are the peak breeding months.
Few turtles, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, have also perished due to the poisoning of waters in Sarri, a tributary of the Beas which starts from Kanowan village and hits Beas at Bhed Pattan village in Gurdaspur.
The extent of damage can be gauged from the fact that about a thousand fish have been spotted dead within half a km stretch of the tributary near a place called Aulakh Bet. The entire stretch affected by poisoning is about 7 km from Nanowal village, where it occurred, to Bhed Pattan, where the tributary joins the Beas.
The dead fish are of all descriptions, from Rahu, Katla, Cat Fish and Eel to local Mahasher, Challi and Maraq.
The incident came to light on Sunday during a surprise operation launched around Sarri area by the Honorary Wildlife Warden, Gurdaspur, Mr Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa, and the Fisheries Officer, Batala, Mr Sarwan Singh.
Mr Bajwa told this correspondent, “The fish come down into the rivulets to breed during this season. When we reached the spot, we found the villagers netting fish out of the tributary. On a closer look, we found about 1,000 fish floating dead. They have obviously been poisoned by poachers who want a quick buck out.
The police are now on the search for the culprits. Meanwhile, cases have been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Fisheries Act, 1914, which takes a strict view on theft of fish. The Wildlife Act prohibits killing of turtles under Schedule I, and anyone caught killing one can be punished with an imprisonment up to three years.
The Fisheries Department, Batala, has collected water samples and sent them for a detailed study. It has also launched a follow-up operation in the area. The fisheries department team comprised Mr S.S. Bajwa, Mr Sarwan Singh, Fisheries Extension Officer, Gurdaspur, Mr Vishesh Kapoor and Fisheries Officer, Dera Baba Nanak, Mr Baljit Singh.
The officials have recorded statements of many villagers at Aulakh Bet, who informed them that the flow of dead fish continued for well over seven hours on Sunday. Children of the village were also busy netting the fish for consumption all day long.
