Assam Fisheries Minister Bimal Borah visited Dighalipukhuri on Saturday morning to assess the activities of the water body following the deaths of over 1000 fish last week.
This is the second visit paid by the minister in a week. Borah had ordered for a water test.
"Dighalipukhuri witnessed the death of a large number of fish due to lack of oxygen in it's waters. We are working round the clock in collaboration with Fishery Dept to reduce the number of fishes in the pond. Started my day by visiting the pond and took stock of activities," the minister tweeted.
"We will also make necessary arrangements to cleanse the bed and test water quality of Dighalipukhuri. Govt of Assam will be initiating balanced fishing practices in consultation with experts to promote the historic pond as a tourist and angler's destination," the tweet added.
The fish had started dying since Saturday last but the fisheries department and Guwahati Police have been informed only on Sunday morning.
The fish were seen lying on the surface of the pond and were primarily identified as local fishes. The cause of deaths of the different types of fish is yet to be ascertained, however, sources have said the probable reason could be due to low oxygen saturation levels which are generally triggered by heavy rains followed by a humid climate.
The fishes found dead weighed between one to ten kilogrammes. The dead fishes include (as pronounced in Assamese) Rohu, Bhokua, Mirika, Silver Karpa, Kamal Karpa, and Japanese Kawai.
Moreover, it has also been suspected that poor cleanliness of the pond especially with the felling of branches of trees could also lead to the surge in deaths of the fishes.
