DUBAI // Residents in a gated community are worried that their pets could be poisoned by dead fish that have appeared all around their man-made lake.
Owners and tenants living in Meadows 9, in Emaar’s Emirates Living, also said they were unable to go for a walk with their children because the sight of dead fish strewn around the lake and in people’s gardens was disturbing.
“I took my kids walking and they were really upset because so many fish were lying dead in the pathway,” said Kavita Agarwal, who has been living in the Meadows for over a year.
“There were too many lying dead on the path and on the road near the lake. The birds may have picked up the fish from the pond and left them around. My little one was so upset he doesn’t want to go.
Mrs Agarwal, whose children are aged 9 and 14, said this is not the first time this had happened.
“It was there last year as well around the same time. Maybe as summer starts, the fish begin to die. It never happens during the winter,” she said.
Emaar confirmed the deaths and said it was natural.
“We use Aphanius fish, a native species found in UAE wadis, which have the ability to withstand high temperature and salinity fluctuations,” said a spokesman.
“However, they have a short life cycle and die after spawning. We have no choice at that time except to gather all the fish and dispose of them, which we do on a regular basis.
“The fish death is a natural occurrence, as has been independently verified by an external consultant, who studied the matter after similar fish death was reported in earlier years. The report said the occurrence is due to die-offs following spawning, seasonal changes in temperature and oxygen levels in the lake.”
Residents said they had also noticed white foam on the surface of the lake, which Emaar attributed to high protein content.
The spokesman added that the lakes in the area were regularly pumped with fresh groundwater and were also cleaned manually.
Many residents, however, worried their pets could be poisoned by the dead fish.
Stephanie, who did not want to give her full name, said she had found one of the dead fish in her back garden on Wednesday morning.
“My husband found a half of a dead fish in our garden. It is very scary to think, because we have a dog. If she had got to it first, I have no doubt she would have sampled it,” said the American expatriate, who has a 10-year-old golden retriever. “If the fish are poisoned, pets could end up sick.”
Another resident said an empty piece of uncleared land behind his villa was a breeding ground for insects and snakes.
“My one-year-old son has insect bites whenever he plays in our garden,” said Akmal Razaq, an Afghan who owns a villa in the community. “We have had to take him to the doctor a few times.
“The land is not cleared out or levelled and, because of this, there are a lot of insects coming into our garden. Last month, security killed two snakes in there. We have asked Emaar to clear up the land.”
However, Emaar said it did not own the land. “We have explained that the land belongs to another entity and cannot be landscaped or developed as a 132kw line runs along the area. We have instructed our service provider to clean the area thoroughly and have also implemented pest control.
He added that no snakes had been found in the area.
pkannan@thenational.ae
