Fish which were meant for a hatchery but which had died and later dumped on the banks of Brahmaputra River in Phulbari under West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya raised quite a bit of panic among the local residents on Tuesday.
Concerned residents of the area, after the discovery of the dead fishes immediately posted photos and videos of the phenomenon seeking to understand what could have led to their death.
“Most of us have fish from the river and the discovery of these fishes on the banks in such a state led to many of us fearing some sort of poisoning or worse. We thereby want to know as to what caused the death of such a large number of fish,” said one P T Sangma, a resident of the area.
Sangma said that the area where the fishes were found was letting off a very bad stench.
Many also speculated that the fishes may have died after they were left near the bank possibly out of carelessness.
Upon being informed on the matter, the Deputy Commissioner of the district, Ram Singh said that the matter will be taken up immediately to ensure that all speculations are put to rest.
The case was later solved in the evening where it was discovered that the fishes were actually meant for a hatchery.
“The owner has clarified that the fish were being taken to a fishery. The owner had asked the helpers to throw the dead fishes into the river but they mistakenly threw it into the bank instead leading to the confusion,” said the Superintendent of Police, West Garo Hills district, Dr MGR Kumar.
