Dead fish found in Indrayani river near Alandi
The study, conducted between 2022 and 2024 by PhD scholar Kiran Ghotkule and his colleagues, analysed the river across various stretches.
Critically high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), alongside heavy nitrate enrichment and critically low dissolved oxygen, indicate severe eutrophcation in the lower reaches, according to the study. The dead fish were discovered just meters away from Alandi temple, a prominent pilgrimage site that draws hundreds of thousands of devotees from across Maharashtra. Environmental activists stated that such incidents have become alarmingly frequent, alleging that local authorities have failed to curb illegal discharge of pollutants into the water. The latest ecological crisis follows a comprehensive three-year research study that flagged a severe and persistent deterioration in Indrayani’s water quality. The research identified the root causes as untreated domestic sewage, agricultural runoff, and toxic industrial effluents originating from Talegaon-Chakan-Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial belt.