Mala fish deaths: HC says case not isolated, orders inspections

PANAJI
Taking serious note of the large-scale fish deaths reported at Mala Lake, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday directed the Directorate of Health Services and the Goa State Pollution Control Board to conduct inspections and submit status reports by Tuesday morning.
In a suo motu public interest litigation, the court observed that the incident was “not merely an isolated case involving Mala Lake but a broader, systemic issue affecting water bodies on the peripheries of various cities.”
The court directed both authorities to inspect the site and submit detailed reports, including the precautions and remedial measures being undertaken to address the immediate crisis and prevent a recurrence. The matter has been listed for further hearing on Tuesday.
The directions came more than a week after residents of Mala witnessed large numbers of dead fish floating across the lake, accompanied by a foul stench that quickly spread through the neighbourhood.
CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate had said that “it looks like sewage is choking the lake.” He had then said that a joint meeting of officials from various departments, including the fisheries department, the Water Resources Department and the Goa State Pollution Control Board, would be convened to discuss the issue and formulate a response.
Later that day, a team from the Goa State Pollution Control Board collected water samples for laboratory analysis.
Officials have, prima facie, pointed to untreated sewage inflow into the lake and resulting oxygen depletion in the water as the likely cause of the mass fish deaths.