Chandigarh, January 11
The Chandigarh administration has decided to control fish population in Sukhna Lake.
At a recent meeting held here, it was recommended that the fishing rights at Sukhna Lake be leased for 15 days. This is being done to remove the fishes of bigger size that have completed their natural cycle of growth. A committee comprising the director, animal husbandry, the conservator of forests, Prof MS Johal, zoology department, Panjab University, and the farm superintendent, fisheries, has been set up to work out the modalities.
Earlier, in his report to the administration, professor Johal had pointed out that keeping in view the water surface and the average depth of water in the lake, there was an over-population of the fish. Therefore, there was an urgent need for thinning the fish population, especially the bigger size, so that a congenial environment be created for the younger generation of fish.
Stating the occasional incidents of fish mortality as a serious concern for the ecological health of the lake, he had advised the administration to operate a boat/motorboat at a very slow speed to circulate the surface water so that the obnoxious gases like carbon dioxide, which were responsible for the mortality of fish, be removed and oxygen contents be increased.