Saturday, March 29, 2008

Ranchi Lake is becoming toxic

RANCHI LAKE BECOMING TOXIC.
Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi Ranchi Lake
Last year one winter morning all the fishes were found dead in one of the most famous lake of the Ranchi city. Ranchi is a capital of Jharkhand State of India. It is commonly known as Ranchi lake. Col. Osle had developed the lake in 1842. This lake is surrounded by domestic houses, commercial buildings and one big hospital. Sewage and domestic wastes, detergents, toxic metals and hospital wastes drain into this famous lake. You can also see the remains of flowers. This lake is also used for immersing Idols of different Hindu Gods and other products after the holy festivals. Idols are made of earthy soils and different colourful paints are used to make it beautiful. When the idols are immersed in water this paints, which are toxic gets dissolved in water. The soil of the idols also affects the life of the lake in the form of siltation. This process of immersion is taking place from last hundred years. Every year more than thousand idols are immersed in this lake. Water of this lake is gradually becoming toxic day by day. Water now emits foul smell.
Unfortunately fishes which were found dead were consumed by the local poor communities. Causes of the death is still not known. But to me it looks like that the water became oxygen deficient. I saw the remaining alive fishes coming on the surface to breathe. Poisoning of the lake water due to toxic metals cannot also be ruled out.
In the picture fishes are seen coming on the surface to breathe.

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