SAMBALPUR: Dead fishes were found floating in Hirakud reservoir, leaving locals panicked on Saturday.While locals blamed industrial pollution as the reason behind fish deaths, scientists attributed dip in mercury as the cause. Project Scientist of Odisha State Pollution Control Board, SN Nanda said either fall in temperature or depletion of oxygen in water is the reason behind death of fishes this season.
“We have been testing water of Hirakud reservoir every month and found pollution levels under control,” he said, adding that if pollution due to industrial effluent was a reason, it could have affected other aquatic organisms and even the people using the reservoir.Deputy Director of Fisheries Department, Pabitra Behera said fishes could have succumbed to the effluent released into the water bodies by industries.