Udupi: Mischief mongers poison lake, hinder fishing activity on 'Bisu'

Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (VM)

Udupi, Apr 15: When the villagers approached Kumekere near Bailakere in Tenkanidiyoor gram panchayat to participate in the annual procedure of catching fish there on ‘Bisu Parba’ on Sunday April 14, they were in for a shock.

They found that hundreds of fishes were lying dead. It is clear that some miscreants had sprayed chemicals in the lake for catching fish some days back. This act created problems for the observation of the tradition of catching fish in the lake only once a year on Ugadi day. The tradition, which had been given a go by since the last 35 years, had been given a new lease of life since the last four years.

The crowd which approached the lake this time on ‘Bisu Parba’ was larger than usual. They found catching fish in the lake a difficult proposition. Still, enthusiastic fish catchers took to the lake in batches and caught various fish species.

On the occasion of  Ugadi, all the villagers come together to catch fish and then share the catches equally. They then go home, cook food out of the fish catches, and eat the same after setting a portion thereof aside for the deceased family elders.

It is said that on Saturday, a few villagers had seen that a truck was parked near the lake. They suspect that the culprits would have used that vehicle to reach the lake for poisoning it.

In this regard, locals complained to the gram panchayat officials. In response thereof, president, Yathish Karkera, said that an official complaint will be filed with Malpe police.

Over a hundred people come every year to catch fish here on this occasion, and more than 50 varieties of fishes are normally found in the lake, said some locals, adding that an appeal was also handed over to the gram panchayat, seeking to ensure that people are allowed to catch fish in the lake only once a year on Ugadi day.