CHENNAI: A whopping two tonnes of dead fish were removed from the Kapaleeswarar temple tank in Mylapore on Monday. Residents said it was highly mysterious that all the fish in the waterbody died suddenly. “After the Karthigai Deepam festival on Sunday night, around 10 pm, a foul stench emanated from the tank. Thousands of lifeless fish had surfaced on the waterbody. We immediately intimated the authorities,” said N Muthukrishnan, a resident of Mylapore.
The tank belongs to the Kapaleeswarar temple, which is under the HR&CE department administration. “Upon request from the temple authorities, we deployed staff to clear the tank on Monday. It’s still not certain as to what caused this incident,” a corporation official told TNIE. Meanwhile, the local residents alleged that oil from the thousands of lamps lit on the footsteps of the tank on the occasion of Karthigai Deepam seeped into the waterbody and led to the deaths. Officials also suspect that the leftover oil might have washed into the tank due to heavy rain on Sunday.
Kapaleeswarar temple Joint Commissioner Kavinitha told TNIE, “Death of a large number of fish is reported in this tank during rainy season every year. This is not the first time. We suspect that some pollutants washed into the tank from outside along with rainwater. The water samples have been sent for detailed tests. We have also asked for a report from the fisheries department about the incident, and will take further action based on their recommendations.”