Delhi Files FIR as Mysterious Fish Deaths Plague Yamuna River

Authorities in Delhi are investigating a surge of dead fish in the Yamuna River, with the Irrigation and Flood Control department filing a complaint for an FIR. The department has dismissed social media allegations of chemical spraying into the river as "fake information" circulated with "malafide intentions" ahead of the Chhath Puja festival. Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh suggested that some individuals are deliberately dumping dead fish into the river.

This latest incident follows another mass fish death reported recently and coincided with a rise in ammonia levels in the raw water drawn from the Yamuna. The elevated ammonia concentration, reaching approximately 1.3 mg/l, temporarily forced the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to reduce production at its Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant. While high ammonical nitrogen is a recurring winter issue, the recent rise occurred when the Upper Ganga Canal was closed for maintenance, limiting options for diluting the pollutant.

Experts suggest investigating sewage and industrial discharges, alongside potential chemical use. However, some activists argue that the ammonia levels alone are insufficient to explain the scale of the fish mortality. They emphasize the need for laboratory testing of water and sediment samples to determine the precise cause of these alarming, back-to-back fish deaths.