Kasargod: A mass death of fish is being witnessed in Payaswini river in Bovikkana here due to the drying river.
Near Bovikkana here, the Payaswini river has a very large lake like area called ‘Neyyam Kayam’ where a large quantity of water gets stored when the rest of the river dries. But, now the water level is very low here leading to the death of the fish en masse. According to experts, the rise in the temperature of the river water led to the death of the fish.
There were fish weighing from 1 kg to 20 kg, floating in the river. Many people carried these fish to their houses. On hearing the news, many people visited the place to see a large number of dead fish floating on the water.
The ‘Neyyam Kayam’ has a large collection of fish fauna in it. The police buried the dead fish with the help of the locals. The local people have formed a committee to save the aquatic fauna in ‘Neyyam Kayam.’ Work was on to fill the Kayam with water from other sources.
The administration has banned farmers from drawing water from the river here and also banned fishing in the area.
This is the first time that Payaswini river has gone dry in Bovikkana. The delayed rain has proven fatal for the living creatures of the river.
