Experts recommend quicklime treatment for toxic Sarobar water
Times of India | 21 May 2024
Kolkata: The Rabindra Sarobar lake bed has turned toxic and is releasing poisonous gases that is killing fish, experts said on Monday after inspecting the lake. A remedy has also been worked out to extract the toxic gases and rejuvenate the water by spraying quicklime and then charging potassium permanganate into the water body.
A Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) official said starting Tuesday, quicklime will be sprayed over the entire 73 acre lake and follow it up by charging potassium permanganate to nullify the toxic elements of the water body so that it becomes healthy and sustains aqua life.
In the past, there have been intermittent sighting of dead fish floating on the lake surface.
KMDA officials along with senior scientists and experts from fisheries department, biodiversity board and pollution control board inspected the lake on Monday.
“Experts have found out that some poisonous gas is being released from the sedimentation which has accumulated on the lake bed. This could be one of the main reasons for the fish deaths that have been reported from time to time. This process is scientifically called anaerobic respiration,” said a KMDA official.
Officials said the dosage of quicklime would be 300 kg per 2.5 acre of water body space. “Experts have said that there will be no harm to the existing aqua life of the lake if the quicklime is sprayed as per the recommended dosage,” the official said.
The authorities will also work out on a few recommendations which have been verbally suggested by experts to improve the aqua life of the lake in the long run. It has been suggested to incorporate fisheries department experts in the KMDA committee which exists to look after affairs of the lake. The expert committee will hold meetings on regular intervals to review the quality of the lake water body to take out corrective measures as and when required.