Pesticide causes blindness in fish in Punjab
carp, the freshwater fish species, are going blind in Punjab. The reason, a study reveals, is a pesticide used in rice fields nearby. Monocrotophos, the pesticide, causes a cataract-like condition reducing the economic value of the fish, said Punjab University researchers who carried out the study. The study was initiated after fish farmers from Patiala and Sangrur districts took their complaint to the researchers. The farmers said the fish started going blind during monsoon a few years ago.
Carp are reared in ponds across the country. To increase their body size and weight, supplementary feeding is done but the blind fish are unable to locate the food and remain underweight.