Wildlife Officials say high phosphate, ammonia levels can be the culprit

PAMPORE: Many fish were found dead in Fashkoori wetland in Saffron town Pampore area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday.
Local residents informed Kashmir Reader that hundreds of fishes were found dead in the Faskoori wetland.
Some dead fish weighed more than two-three kilograms, he said.
Wildlife department officials said that the department is investigating the incident and water samples from the Fashkoori wetland have been sent to the Pollution Control Committee Srinagar for testing to find the cause of the deaths.
The of wildlife department experts headed by Ranger Sajjid Farooq visited the spot.
The expert team has collected water samples and sent them for analysis.
The Fashkoori wetland is spread over 2 kilometers from Namlabal to Tulbagh in the Saffron. Thousands of migratory birds visit Fashkoori wetland during winter.
Many local told Kashmir Reader that they have been noticing dead fish floating to the shore from some days.
John Mohammad, a local, told Kashmir Reader that the fish have been dying.
He said that he doesn’t know the reasons.
However, he said that the wetland has been encroached.
“The exit drainage system of the wetland towards the Namblabal side has been closed by encroachers,” he said.
He told Kashmir Reader that many residents cause pollution in the water body by throwing garbage and waste.
” Sewerage points of many houses also drain into Fashkoori wetland,” he said.
Talking to Kashmir Reader Wildlife Ranger, Sajjid Farooq said that the death has been caused due to toxicity caused by phosphate and ammoniacal nitrate.
” A sample of Fashkoori wetland water was lifted for analysis by officials of Pollution Control Department,” he said, adding that the analysis reports indicate high levels of phosphate and ammoniacal nitrate.
He added that oxygen level is at normal but levels of phosphate and ammoniacal nitrate are alarmingly high.
The officer warned local residents from causing pollution in the water body.
” Legal action warranted under the wetland management act will be taken against defaulters,” he said.
He said that they had already given notices to some households not to discharge sewage points into the wetland.
He added that they will coordinate with the Municipal Committee Pampore to seek a solution to this issue.
He said that they had already requested urban local bodies for a sewerage treatment plant.
” A meeting was held in this regard here in Pampore last year which was attended by director Urban Local bodies and concerned wildlife warden, they suggested that a STP will be established but one and half year passes since then,” he said, adding no work was initiated on STP.

BILAL HABIB