MANDI: The Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) has issued a show-cause notice to the General Manager of the District Industries Centre (DIC), Mandi, following severe pollution and large-scale fish mortality in the Ratti water stream in Balh subdivision.
The regulatory action was triggered by a complaint lodged by a local resident on Friday, who reported a heavy accumulation of slurry and mass fish deaths in the stream near the local police station.
Following the complaint, a joint inspection team comprising officials from the Pollution Control Board, Fisheries Department, Industries Department, panchayat representatives, and local residents visited the spot. During the inspection, villagers informed the team that the fish deaths had occurred two to three days earlier, with dead fish seen floating near the Ratti Bridge.
The team subsequently inspected the nearby industrial area to locate the source of the contamination. The inspection revealed that a sewage collection chamber connected to a septic tank was overflowing. Officials found that the pipeline linking the chamber to the septic tank was damaged, which led to the direct discharge of untreated sewage into the Ratti stream. Stagnant sewage water was also spotted at several points along the stream.
Water samples have been collected from both upstream and downstream locations and sent for laboratory testing to confirm the extent of contamination and verify its link to the fish deaths.
In the notice issued by Regional Officer Vinay Kumar, the HPSPCB stated that discharging untreated sewage into a natural water body is a serious violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The board has directed the DIC to immediately halt the discharge, ensure the proper treatment and disposal of sewage from the industrial area, and submit a satisfactory response within three days. The notice warned that a failure to comply could lead to regulatory and penal action, including the imposition of environmental compensation under the National Green Tribunal’s “Polluter Pays Principle.”
Neetu Singh, Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department in Mandi, confirmed that a large number of fish were found dead along the affected stretch. She stated that the mortality appeared to be linked to the polluted water, adding that the laboratory report is still awaited.
Expressing concern over the incident, Narender Saini, president of the Dev Bhumi Paryavaran Rakshak Manch, termed the development unfortunate and demanded strict action against those responsible. He noted that the fish breeding season is scheduled to begin on June 15, and the loss of multiple fish species could cause significant ecological damage to the local area.
