Team Goemkarponn
PONDA: The mass death of freshwater fish at Kapileshwari Lake in Kavlem, Ponda, has prompted a pollution investigation, with the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) collecting water samples from the lake on Monday evening.
The samples were collected by GSPCB junior engineer Aryada Deshpande and field assistant Roma Khandekar in the presence of Kavlem panchayat staff and Shree Kapileshwar Temple authorities, following a request from the panchayat to determine the cause of the fish deaths.
A large number of fish were found floating dead in the lake on Saturday, shortly after Ganesh Chaturthi immersion activities, triggering concern among local residents and temple authorities.
While photographs and videos circulated on social media, with claims linking the deaths to firecrackers detonated on or near the water, officials have not established such a connection. Some villagers also raised the possibility that stagnant water and reduced dissolved oxygen levels may have contributed to the deaths.
GSPCB officials said they were not in a position to comment on the cause until the water samples are examined. They noted, however, that the lake water was unfit for swimming.
Temple president Gopakrishna Dhavalikar said he would comment only after the pollution control board submits its report.
Meanwhile, Kavlem Biodiversity Management Committee president Santosh Tari has urged the government to issue guidelines on the colours used to paint idols that are immersed in water bodies, highlighting concerns over the impact of immersion-related activities on aquatic ecosystems.
The GSPCB’s test results are expected to shed light on the factors behind the fish deaths and determine whether any contamination or oxygen depletion occurred in the lake.
