SURAT, May 3: Hundreds of fish in the Okheshwar Mahadev Mandir lake on the Rander Dandi Road have died and surrounding crops damaged as a result of chemicals seeping into the pond due to negligence on the part of the authorities to tow away a tanker, which met with an accident with a state transport bus about a week ago, alleged Councillor of the Rander area of the city, Kamleshbhai Sailor.Taking up the matter with the police and District Collector R M Shah, he said that as the authorities had failed to tow away the tanker, hazardous chemicals from the vehicle, seeped into the nearby drain, finally ending up in the lake and killing a number of fish in the process.
According to Sailor, the crops which are being grown on both sides of the road were also affected because of the chemicals. He urged the authorities to take quick steps to contain further damage to the crops and lives of fish in the area.
When contacted, the Rander police said that the councillor had not lodged a complaint in this regard, but had only informed them of the incident. The tanker was towed away 24 hours after the accident, during which a sizeable amount of chemical must have seeped into the drain, the Rander police admitted.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
