Dead Fish on the Banks of the River Yamuna Panics City Residents

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AGRA, INDIA, June 14, 2002: Residents in the city of Agra were horrified on June 14 when they awoke to the sight of thousands of dead fish on the banks of the river Yamuna. While the citizens of Agra are concerned about the safety of the water for human consumption, fishermen in the city may have to take up another means of making a living. Gyanesh Kumar, the additional district magistrate of Agra says, “It appears that the sudden rise of pollution resulted in a drastic fall of dissolved oxygen in river water, leading to the death of fishes on this terrible scale. Until our investigations are completed we will stop the Yamuna water supply to Agra city due to apprehensions about the safety and quality of the water.” A substitute water supply from Gokul Barrage is being used as a replacement. An official from Agra’s Jal Nigam water board says that they have been pushing for a clean up of the river. However, residential sewage and industrial waste are continually dumped untreated into the river. “It is time we restored the glory of the Yamuna River which was a grand old river. Now it has been turned into a sewage drain,” said the water board official.