Budgam, July 17, KNT: Suspected deliberate poisoning has resulted in the death of hundreds of fish in four fish farms in the Dragger area of Khansahib in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, causing substantial financial losses to families dependent on aquaculture for their livelihood.
The incident came to light on Friday morning when the affected families found large numbers of dead fish floating in their ponds. The sudden fish mortality has raised suspicion of deliberate poisoning, prompting demands for a thorough investigation.
The affected fish farmers have been identified as Sabzaar Ahmad Lone, son of Abdul Aziz Lone; Mohammad Ashraf Lone, son of Mohammad Akbar Lone; Ghulam Mohiuddin Lone, son of Mohammad Akbar Lone; and Manzoor Ahmad Kalas, son of Jaldeen Kalas, all residents of Dragger, Khansahib.
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According to the families, fish farming is their primary source of income, and the incident has caused losses estimated to run into several lakh rupees, leaving them in severe financial distress.
The affected families have appealed to the district administration and the Jammu and Kashmir Police to conduct a fair and impartial investigation to ascertain the cause of the fish deaths and identify those responsible, if foul play is established.
They have also urged the Fisheries Department to assess the damage at the earliest and provide adequate financial assistance and compensation to help them recover from the losses.
Local residents expressed concern over the incident, describing it as a serious blow to the region’s aquaculture sector, and called for stringent action against those responsible to safeguard the livelihoods of fish farmers. [KNT]
