Budgam, July 17 (JKNS): Panic and concern gripped Dregar village in the Khansahib area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district after hundreds of fish were found dead in four separate fish farms under mysterious circumstances on Friday. The affected families suspect that the fish may have been deliberately poisoned, resulting in financial losses running into several lakhs of rupees.
The affected fish farm owners have been identified as Sabzar Ahmad Lone, son of Abdul Aziz Lone; Mohammad Ashraf Lone, son of Mohammad Akbar Lone; Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Lone, son of Mohammad Akbar Lone; and Manzoor Ahmad Kalas, son of Jalal-ud-Din Kalas, all residents of Dregar, Khansahib.
According to the affected families, they arrived at their fish farms on Friday morning to find hundreds of fish floating dead in the ponds. The sudden and unexplained deaths have raised serious concerns, with the owners alleging that the incident appears to be a case of deliberate poisoning.
The families said the incident has dealt a severe financial blow, as fish farming is their primary source of livelihood. Preliminary estimates suggest that they have suffered losses worth several lakhs of rupees, pushing them into financial distress.
The affected families have urged the District Administration Budgam, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Department of Fisheries to conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the incident, identify those responsible, and take strict legal action against the culprits.
They also appealed to the Fisheries Department and the district administration to carry out an immediate assessment of the losses and provide adequate financial assistance and compensation to help them restore their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, local residents expressed deep concern over the incident and urged the authorities to take effective measures to prevent such occurrences in the future and safeguard the livelihoods of people dependent on fish farming. (JKNS)
