Fish dying at Kol Dam, authorities deny

SUNDERNAGAR: A large number of dead fish are being noticed frequently at the tail race of 800 MW Kol Dam Project situated on the border of Mandi and Bilaspur districts

Updated At : 06:00 AM Aug 08, 2016 IST

Local residents say whenever the generation in the Kol Dam is stopped, thousands of dead fish are found at the tail race.

Mahesh Chander Sharma

Sundernagar, August 7

A large number of dead fish are being noticed frequently at the tail race of 800 MW Kol Dam Project, situated on the border of Mandi and Bilaspur districts.

Local residents said whenever the generation in the Kol Dam Project is stopped, thousands of dead fish are noticed at the tail race.

The project started production last year and the 40-km-long reservoir was created as a prospective bed for the development of fisheries.

Last year, the Fisheries Department stocked fish eggs worth Rs 27 lakh in the Kol Dam reservoir and registered six cooperative societies, consisting of 250 fishermen, and production of fish was expected this year.

Jadish Chand, president of Kasol – Chamyon Visthapit Matsya Co Operative Society, said due to negligence of Kol Dam authorities, lakhs of fish were dying frequently. The authorities did not set up a net in the reservoir before to the decanting chamber, as a result of which the fish entered the power house from decanting chamber and were ultimately detected at the tail race. Around 200 fishermen had got no fish this time.

He demanded that the Kol Dam authorities should compensate the fishermen for the monetary loss.

However, Kol Dam PRO Parveen Bharti denied the incidents of fish mortality.

Rajan Sood, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Bilaspur, said he had not received any compliant regarding the dying of fish. He would inquire into the matter and initiate suitable action against the project authorities, Sood said.

Although the Kol Dam authorities are denying the incidents, employees can be seen removing dead fish.