The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cleared nearly 10,000 kg of dead fish and ritual waste from the historic Banganga Tank at Malabar Hill after the conclusion of Pitru Paksha rituals, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The mass fish deaths were first reported on September 21, when devotees began immersing flowers, food, and other offerings. Civic officials said the immersion of floral and organic material depleted oxygen levels in the water, triggering large-scale fish mortality.
“Over 6,000 kg of waste was collected on Sunday, followed by 2,000 kg each on Monday and Tuesday. The material included dead fish, floral offerings, plastic, and organic waste,” a senior BMC official told The Indian Express. Seven dumper trucks were used to remove the debris, while water samples have been sent for lab testing to rule out chemical contamination.
To stabilise water quality, BMC installed aerators and dewatering pumps to infuse oxygen and pump in fresh water. Officials from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Fisheries Department, and Taraporewala Aquarium also inspected the site.
Banganga Tank, a 12th-century freshwater stepped reservoir managed by the GSB Temple Trust, houses more than 220 fish species. However, mass fish deaths during religious immersions have become a recurring issue.
Following the incident, activists renewed demands for preventive measures. Sneha Visariya, founder trustee of Just Smile Charitable Trust, urged BMC to create artificial ponds for ritual immersions. “Offerings should be immersed in artificial ponds, from which only the water can be released into the tank. This way devotees can complete their rituals without harming aquatic life. We are killing living beings in the name of religion, and this must stop,” she said.
Visariya recalled filing complaints after a similar incident in 2022 when post-mortem reports from Parel Veterinary Hospital confirmed contaminated water as the cause of death, reinforcing calls for urgent action.
