Mangaluru: Dead, dying fish found in Phalguni River; pollution suspected

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 8, 2026: Dead and semi-conscious fish were found floating in the Phalguni River and along its banks in the Bengre, Sultan Battery and Bokkapatna areas on Saturday, triggering concerns over worsening water pollution.

Local fishermen first noticed the affected fish while setting out for fishing early in the morning. They suspect that chemical contamination of the river may have caused the deaths.

According to fishermen, an embankment built across the river for the ongoing bridge project connecting Bengre and Sultan Battery had obstructed the natural flow of water for the past four to five months. The embankment is now being dismantled following the onset of the monsoon.

During this period, water remained stagnant between the embankment site and the Maravoor dam, allowing industrial effluents, sewage discharge and stormwater runoff to accumulate. The stagnant stretch reportedly turned dark and heavily polluted over time.

Recent rainfall has restored water flow in the river, while the ongoing removal of the embankment has allowed water to move downstream. Fishermen said fish had migrated upstream with the arrival of fresh water, but the polluted conditions may have deprived them of oxygen, leaving many struggling to survive and causing several deaths.

Fish mortality incidents had previously been reported during the summer in areas including Kuloor, Baikampady, Jokatte and Maravoor when water levels were low. However, fishermen said this is the first such incident reported in the Bengre and Sultan Battery regions.

While local fishermen blame chemical contamination for the fish deaths, officials from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board said the situation was largely caused by stagnant polluted water trapped due to the bridge project’s embankment. Authorities noted that sewage and other pollutants had severely degraded water quality and added that action had already been initiated against officials responsible for permitting the discharge of untreated wastewater into the river.