Many dead fish floated down the Salar canal in Tashkent
A mass die-off of fish of various sizes, including decorative fish, was detected in the Salar canal flowing near Ecopark in Tashkent. Throughout the day, it was not possible to determine the cause and source of this. The khokimiyat (city administration) announced that the situation is being investigated. A Gazeta correspondent prepared a report from the scene.
Many dead fish washed down the Salar canal in Tashkent
In the Salar canal in the city of Tashkent, dead fish were observed washing away with the water. In videos sent to Gazeta, around 13:30, fish ranging from tiny to medium-sized were seen dead in the southern part of Ecopark, at the intersection of Maxtumquli and Abdulla Qodiriy streets on the Salar canal.
There were also fish caught on branches in the shallow parts of the canal. We inspected the sections of the canal flowing through Ecopark and the Central Park named after Mirzo Ulugbek. Along the canal in Ecopark, we witnessed many dead fish washing away in the water.
On the Central Park side, there is a lake where colorful fish imported from Japan are kept. Initially, there was a assumption that the fish washing down the canal belonged to this lake. However, the park administration denied this.
Also, according to the park owners, construction work is underway in the section of the canal leading up to the Central Park, and the fish might be dying due to excavation work. According to residents living along the canal, construction has been ongoing there for a week. No fish were spotted in the water there. Thus, it remained unknown from where the dead fish started washing down.
Employees of the analytical laboratory of the monitoring department of the Tashkent City Ecology Department arrived at the canal bank and took water samples. According to a laboratory employee, the analysis results will be ready in 4-5 days.
"We only perform chemical analysis, analysis specific to canals. Analysis of nitrogen groups, pH environment, dry residues, suspended solids, sulfate, and chloride salts is carried out. We do not analyze fish samples; our laboratory specializes in wastewater analysis," said specialist Hidoyat Jo‘raboyeva.
The Tashkent city administration informed Gazeta that the situation along the Salar canal near Ecopark and the Catholic church has already been taken under control by the city administration. Currently, an investigation is being conducted by the Ecology Department. Specialists will identify the causes of the incident, sources of pollution, and assess the environmental impact.
If violations are identified, the materials will be submitted to the competent authorities for legal assessment and decision-making in accordance with the established legislation, the press service of the city administration responded.