Hundreds of fish have died under mysterious circumstances in the historic Basheshar Pond in Nurpur over the past five days, raising concerns among residents and environmentalists over the deteriorating condition of the heritage water body.

The issue came to the administration’s notice after social activists shared videos and photographs of dead and dying fish on social media. Acting on the reports, SDM Arun Sharma directed the Fisheries Department to inspect the pond. Officials examined the site and treated the water with chemicals, but fish mortality continued till Tuesday morning.

Hundreds of dead fish have been seen floating on the surface of the pond over the past four days. The decomposing carcasses have created a foul smell, forcing morning walkers to stay away and causing inconvenience to nearby residents.

The Nurpur Municipal Council has deployed sanitation workers to remove the dead fish. Preliminary observations suggest that low dissolved oxygen levels in the stagnant pond water may have caused the mortality.

Sunil Kumar, a local shopkeeper, alleged that fish deaths had become an annual occurrence and blamed the authorities for failing to conserve the historic pond or protect its aquatic life.

According to Fisheries Department experts, prolonged dry weather, stagnant water and rising temperatures can significantly reduce dissolved oxygen levels, leading to large-scale fish mortality.

Environmentalists and local social organisations have demanded regular cleaning and desilting of the pond every one to two years. They have also urged the government to develop the heritage water body as a tourist attraction along with the historic Brij Raj Swami Temple and Nurpur Fort.

The SDM said the Jal Shakti Department had collected water samples on Monday and the test report was expected by Tuesday evening. He added that the administration was coordinating with the Fisheries Department to procure oxygen tablets from Bilaspur to improve dissolved oxygen levels in the pond.