Dead fish found along Yamuna banks in Delhi’s Burari, cause yet to be ascertained

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of dead fish were found along the banks of the Yamuna near Burari in north Delhi, raising fresh concerns over the river’s water quality and the health of its aquatic ecosystem, the New Delhi Nature Society said on Thursday.

The society, which describes itself as a “A collective of individuals. Spreading awareness…” on its X profile, shared photographs and videos showing dead fish along the riverbank on Wednesday evening.

“Specific cause not established. Locals allege chemical waste discharged from Haryana through canals. Could it be related to the acid rain on Oct 12th?” it said in a post on X.

Fish deaths can indicate ecological stress, including deteriorating water quality, low dissolved oxygen levels and the presence of toxic substances, the society said.

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The cause of the latest fish deaths remains unclear.

The images come amid continuing concerns over pollution in the Yamuna, which faces pollution-related challenges despite repeated efforts to clean the river.

Mass fish deaths were reported from Burari in May last year as well.

At the time, visuals showed thousands of dead fish floating in the river, with locals attributing the deaths to chemical waste allegedly discharged from Haryana. Reports had also pointed to high pollution levels.

In May this year, hundreds of fish died at Sanjay Lake in east Delhi amid a heatwave and receding water levels. Experts had pointed to a combination of high temperatures, concentrated pollutants and declining dissolved oxygen levels as possible factors.