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Fish Die-Off at Ancient Martand Sun Temple Linked to Water Stress and Overfeeding

An expert team from the Fisheries Department has determined that fish deaths in the ponds of Jammu and Kashmir's historic Martand Sun Temple were caused by opportunistic pathogens, triggered by stress from a water quality issue. They advise periodic cleaning of the water bodies to prevent bacteria and fungi from dominating. A key recommendation is to avoid overfeeding the fish, even with well-intentioned public offerings, and to use only standardized, nutritious feed. The temple president has appealed to visitors to stop feeding the fish without permission to protect their health.

Key Points: Fish Deaths at Martand Sun Temple: Experts Warn Against Overfeeding

  • Water quality derailment caused stress
  • Bacterial infestation led to mortality
  • Periodic cleaning of ponds is crucial
  • Public urged to stop unapproved feeding
2 min read

J-K: Experts advise against overfeeding after fishes die in Martand sun temple

Experts link fish deaths in Martand Sun Temple ponds to bacterial infestation from water quality issues and public overfeeding. Learn the precautions advised.

"We should ensure that they are not being overfed. - Aadil Husein, Fishery Faculty"

Anantnag, December 24

An expert team from the Department of Fisheries visited the Martand Sun Temple on Wednesday to inspect the reason behind the deaths of fishes.

One representative from the Fishery faculty, Aadil Husein, shared the findings after testing the water and fish.

He said they had come into contact with opportunistic pathogens due to stress from the water derailment.

"There was some water quality derailment. The fish samples revealed bacterial infestation. This has caused stress, which has most likely led to the dominance of the opportunistic pathogens and resulted in the fish mortality."

When asked about what the next steps should be for the outbreak, the representative said that they have mentioned the precautionary methods to limit the infestation.

"First and foremost, there should be a periodic cleaning of water bodies as the fungi and bacteria mostly lie at the bottom and without cleaning, they can dominate the fish stock," he said.

Additionally, he mentioned that the feeding of the fish plays an important role in their health.

"We should use the standardised feed with proper nutrients for the fish. And, even if they are being fed by others in goodwill, we should ensure that they are not being overfed," he added.

President of the Martand Surya Mandir, Ashok Sidha, also shared his experience with the faculty in this matter. He mentioned that they acted swiftly after being made aware of the situation.

"A team of 16 people came to this place to conduct tests and took samples for the report. They asked us to wait for a week for the results, but the fish in the three ponds kept dying during that time," he stated.

"We are happy that the team is here with the report since we were panicking about the fish's deaths," said Sidha.

He appealed to the public not to feed the fish, as using unapproved feed could harm their health.

"After they shared the findings with us, I appeal to people not to feed the fish without permission," he concluded.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Good that the department acted and provided a scientific reason. "Opportunistic pathogens due to stress" makes sense. Hope the temple management follows the cleaning protocol strictly. Our heritage sites need proper maintenance.
R
Rohit P
While the expert advice is sound, the response time seems to have been an issue. The president said fish kept dying for a week while waiting for results. Could the department not have given interim measures? Speed is crucial in such cases.
S
Sarah B
It's a common problem at many tourist spots in India. People think they are being kind by feeding animals, but it disrupts the ecosystem. Need more public awareness campaigns about this.
V
Vikram M
Jai Surya Dev! The temple ponds must be kept clean. This is a wake-up call for all religious sites with water bodies. Regular cleaning and controlled feeding should be part of the standard protocol. Hope the fish stock recovers soon.
K
Kavya N
The president's appeal is important. Maybe they can put up clear signboards in multiple languages asking visitors not to feed the fish. Sometimes people just don't know they are causing harm.

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