Dead fish: activist demands clean-up of check dam in Coonoor

An activist in the Nilgiris has demanded that a check dam supplying water to a village near Coonoor be drained and cleaned because dead fish was found in it.

The activist, Sharan Deep Singh from Bettati, conducts clean-up operations in waterbodies and ecologically sensitive areas in Coonoor and Kotagiri. In his letter to District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, Mr. Singh said the check dam, near the Ralliah Dam, might be contaminated, leading to the death of fauna in the water.

He told The Hindu that he feared the fish could be consumed by other wildlife. The check dam supplied drinking water to the village of Hosatty and, hence, posed a risk to the health of its residents. “The area is home to many species of wildlife, which could potentially be affected through accidental consumption of the dead animals from the pond,” he said.