Uttar Pradesh: Hundreds of fish found dead in Ganga

Muzaffarnagar: Hundreds of dead fish were found floating in the Ganga near the temple town of Shukratal, prompting Union minister Sanjeev Balyan to visit the area and demand a probe, police said on Friday.

The fish, which were found dead yesterday, may have died due to toxic industrial effluents in the river discharged by industries in upstream Uttarakhand, a police official said.

Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sanjeev Balyan visited the town yesterday, where devotees throng to see 72-foot idol of Lord Hanuman and take a holy dip in the Ganga. He directed officials to take necessary action against the culprits.

A case has been registered under sections 277 (fouling water of public spring or reservoir), 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unidentified industries of Uttarakhand.

A team has been sent to Uttarakhand to investigate the matter, police added.

A team from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board inspected the place and collected water samples for forensic tests.