Common carp, a fish species, can 'trigger landslides' around Nainital lake: Here is how

The number of common carp fish in Nainital lake has risen meteorically over the years. But how does a small fish endanger a lake and why is the district administration thinking to remove hundreds of thousands of them? Read on...

Nainital (Uttarakhand):Naini Lake, the beautiful water body bedecked by the lofty mountains in Nainital is facing a threat from common carp fish whose numbers have meteorically risen in the lake with research showing that they may also lead to landslides given their continuous nibbling of the land within the waterbody.

The lake, a natural freshwater body situated amidst the township of Nainital in Kumaon, sees thousands of tourists visiting it every day. In a study conducted by Pantnagar University, it has been found that the common carp fish found in huge quantities in the lake can be a death knell for the lake. The study, according to Nainital District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbiyal, has revealed that about 60 percent of the fish found in the lake is common carp.

"You can see common carp everywhere here. Recently we conducted a survey here along with Pantnagar university and found that the number of common carp has increased by 60%. This fish has a tendency to nibble through the land underwater continuously in search of food. If it continues at this scale, there is a possibility of landslides in this ecologically sensitive area," the DM said, adding, "We have to gradually remove the fish, especially ones that weigh 1kg or above."

He said that the ecosystem of Naini Lake will be strengthened and efforts will be put in to stop the land degradation in the hills of Mall Road. Echoing the DM, PK Pandey, director of the Cold Water Fisheries Research Center, says that the common carp fish are a threat to the existence of Naini Lake. "The fish will be removed from the lake and replaced with mahseer fish," he said.

Pertinently, the work of extracting common carp fish from Naini lake had begun in 2008. However, after a few days of operation, the work stopped for reasons unknown. As a result, the number of common carp in the lake started increasing rapidly. Common carp is a species of fish originally found in Sri Lanka, which was introduced many years ago by the fisheries department in Naini Lake. However, the fish did not prove suitable for the lake's ecosystem.