Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A foul smell due to large-scale fish deaths in Lower Lake is disrupting life for thousands of daily visitors to lakeside parks and nearby institutions.
The Khatlapura ghat area, a popular public spot, is the worst hit, with big-sized dead fish floating across the lake’s edge, right in front of the Police Headquarters (PHQ) and several government colleges.
Parks like Karishma Park and others along the lakeside, frequented for morning walks and summer leisure, have become unusable due to the unbearable stench. Locals say that the situation has worsened over the past few days, especially in the Khatlapura stretch where the accumulation of dead fish is most visible.
“The smell is so intense that we can’t even sit in the parks, let alone go for a walk. It’s everywhere,” said a regular visitor near the ghat.
Despite regular garbage clearance efforts by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), dead fish continue to float near park areas, ruining the ambience. The Lower Lake is also a hub for sports activities, adding to the number of affected visitors.
BMC Additional Commissioner Devendra Patel said, “The BMC’s lake conservation cell will be deployed to treat fish mortality issue. Though the lake is being cleaned under the Jal-Ganga Samvardhan Yojana, we will look into this specific situation if it continues.”
Reacting to the worsening public nuisance, the MP Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has also stepped in. Regional Officer Brijesh Sharma said, “We will collect water samples from Lower Lake to investigate the cause. It’s a major issue as a large section of the public is being affected.”
