Oxygen depletion kills a large number of Jalebi fish in Palar river near Ambur

A large number of fish were found dead in Palar River at Madhanur village near Ambur town in Tirupattur on Sunday due to depletion of the oxygen level in the water.

Officials of the Department of Fisheries said that most of the fish that were found dead were Jalebi fish (Tilapia fillets). The fish is a common variety found in fresh and brackish waterbodies.

The department removed over 150 kg of dead fish on Thursday. “The tank is also a key water source for irrigation in the village. Many civic bodies also laid bore wells around the tank to pump water for domestic consumption. Such sudden death of fish should be probed, and the tank should be cleaned,” said G. Ramesh, a resident.

Residents and local fishermen alerted panchayat and Fisheries Department officials after noticing fishes floating on the bank of the river. After removing dead fish, the officials collected samples to find the cause of death.

Considered to be a lifeline, the river, which is around 20 ft in depth, helps farmers to cultivate a large tract of paddy, banana, sugarcane and groundnuts in surrounding villages. Apart from irrigating more than 1,200 acres of farmland in the area, the river also helps to provide drinking water to residents in the village. More than 15 bore wells have been dug along the riverbank to provide piped water supply to residents in 12 surrounding villages. A portion of the river is also used to cultivate fish for commercial purposes. Revenue generated from fish auctioning, which is done once in three years, is used by the civic body to provide basic facilities in the town.

Catla fish, varying from two to four feet, forms the major fish variety in the river. On an average, three tonnes each of major varieties like Catla and Jalebi are netted every year and sold in the local market and in big towns like Tirupattur, Jolarpet, Ambur, Vaniyambadi and Gudiyatham.