It has become “an annual tragedy”.
Every year, thousands of fish fall victim to poisoning in the Banganga Water Reservoir in western India, reports
Slate
.
The causes of this tragedy are known.
During religious rituals, the inhabitants throw a large amount of food into the water, which leads to a lack of oxygen for the fish.
But many lakes and rivers in India are also affected by pollution, according to
Quartz
.
70% of Indian surface water has become undrinkable.
The main cause is fertilizer pollution of rivers.
It causes algae blooms, which in turn deplete the water of oxygen and kill aquatic life.
Sewage discharge, garbage dumps
What are the causes of this significant pollution?
Many factors are mentioned, starting with the accelerated development experienced by India, which is causing major waste water discharges by industrialists.
Garbage dumps also contribute to water pollution and low oxygen levels in water bodies.
In Bangalore, a city in the south of the country, several lakes have become completely unsuitable for aquatic life.
If city dwellers are not directly affected by this pollution, this situation should however alert the authorities.
"Without our rivers, lakes, ponds and other water bodies, India's geography, language and culture would be very different," says Priya Ranganathan, PhD student at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment ( Atree).
“People are connected to these bodies of water in material and spiritual ways.
Bodies of water are a crucial part of the culture of any civilisation,” she concludes.
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