Berhampur: Fisheries officials in Gajapati district have restricted fishing in Rama Sagar, a minor irrigation project in Paralakhemundi after they found several dead fishes floating in the water on Sunday. The restriction will continue till the cause of death of fishes is ascertained, they said. Fishery officers have recovered some dead fishes and sent them for tests to a private university laboratory in Paralakhemundi. “After getting the report, we will know the exact cause of the fishes death,” said Arun Kumar Sahu, district fisheries officer.In a letter to Paralakhemundi Primary Fishery Cooperative Society, Sahu urged the fishermen not to fish in the water body and to sell the same fish in the market. He also advised the people not to consume the fish of Rama Sagar till the cause of death of fishes is ascertained. Local fishermen informed the fisheries officers on spotting the dead fishes. Several fishes had rotted and were emitting a foul smell, said assistant fisheries officer Nilanchal Behera. “We have also advised the fishermen to collect the dead fishes if any was floating in the water body,” he said.MLA (Paralakhemundi) Rupesh Kumar Panigrahy visited the site and interacted with the local fishermen. Rama Sagar, one of the three vast water tanks in Paralakhemundi, was built by Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati. The water bodies not only provide irrigation and fishing facilities but also provide drinking water to residents living nearby.
