MANDI: The local Tibetan settlement office at Tso Pema called an urgent gathering of residents to extend assistance in relief efforts following a sudden death in fishes at the sacred Tso Pema (Rewalsar) lake on 18 April.
Thousands of fish died at the lake during the tragedy. The Tibetans worked in collaboration with local Indian residents and saved thousands of fish from dying and further helped in cleaning the lake of dead fishes.
A detailed analysis carried out by experts reported three possible causes for the deaths namely, feeding the fishes with unhealthy foods, over population, and drastic reduction in oxygen level in the water from 5.4 to 0.4%. Other possible causes like water pollution, sewage discharge, etc were also reported.
The dead fish were transported in eight tractors and the live fishes were transported in seven mini trucks and released in the nearby river as well as in the Sundernagar dam.
The Tibetan residents also offered butter lamps and prayers for the safety of the fishes and the ecosystem.