ISLAMABAD: Four government departments asked to submit reports on the dead fish in Rawal Dam in July could not agree on how the fish died, with one department claiming the fish were poisoned.

Although the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), Pakistan Council on Research of Water Resources (PCRWR) and the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) told a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change on Friday that the fish died due to low levels of oxygen, Lubna Said from the Chief Commissioner’s Office said the fish were poisoned.

The conflicting reports displeased committee chairman MNA Malik Mohammad Uzair Khan, who said it was disappointing that government departments could not ascertain the real causes of the deaths four months after they occurred.

“We do not know who or what to believe,” Mr Khan said.

The committee met on Friday for detailed reports on how scores of fish in Rawal Lake died just as the monsoon began in July.

After the dead fish surfaced, the water supply for Rawal Lake was suspended out of fears that the lake had been poisoned on contaminated.

Ms Said told the committee that samples were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) to check for arsenic, pesticide and copper poisoning and to check the quality of water in the dam.

Although three reports attributed deaths to low oxygen levels, representative from chief commissioner’s office said fish were ‘poisoned’

When nothing significant was found, samples of the fish were also sent to the Punjab Forensic Science laboratory in Lahore which confirmed that the fish were poisoned by permethrin.

“The poison damaged the internal organs of the silver cod fish, which have weak immune systems,” Ms Said said. She also claimed the fish were poisoned by locals after authorities banned boat rides for visitors at the dam.

“It was possible that the boatmen poisoned the water that killed the fish. Some locals have been nominated in the police’s FIR,” she added.

MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, however, corrected the government official and informed her of a turf war between local fishermen and a contractor, which she believed was the cause behind the dead fish.

Director General Farzana Altaf Shah from the Pak-EPA countered the officials with the findings of her office.

“The fish died due to extremely low oxygen levels in the lake, and not of poison. Poison should have killed other species of fish in the lake and not just one species,” Ms Shah said.

This was the second time that oxygen levels in Rawal Lake declined sharply due to excessive pollution in the body of water, she said. “This is the second time fish have died in the lake. In 2006, smaller weaker fish died in a similar manner due to low oxygen levels,” she said.

The reports of the PCRWR and PCSIR showed similar results, Ms Shah said, adding that the dead fish were buried before local fishermen could catch and sell them.

“Solid waste flowing into the lake and from surrounding settlements continues to be a major reason for excessive pollution in the lake. It is imperative that the lake is completely fenced and sewerage treatment plants are installed upstream to stop the flow of waste into the lake, which is also a source of drinking water for Rawalpindi,” she said.

MNA Naeema Khan was also displeased with the conflicting reports and suggested action against government officials for tendering false reports.

It was decided that the committee members would visit Rawal Lake for a clearer view of pollution in the water body.

The chairman of the committee also decided to ban bottled mineral water at committee meetings on Friday, in order to encourage the consumption of water from water dispensers and to discourage the use of plastic.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2017