A large number of prawns were found dead under mysterious circumstances in the Palair balancing reservoir in Kusumanchi mandal on Thursday morning.
Sources said that an estimated half a tonne of dead prawns were found floating in the water body close to the roadside park abutting the Khammam-Suryapet main road just after dawn.
Dozens of fish and some crabs were also found dead in the same area of the water body triggering doubts of foul play behind the incident.
Taken aback by the ghastly sight, some local fishermen took the matter to the notice of the leaders of the Palair Fishermen Cooperative Society, who in turn alerted the local officials of the Fisheries Department.
However, the officials concerned were away in Hyderabad in connection with the arrangements for annual “fish prasadam” distribution slated to begin in the State capital on Friday, sources said.
The sudden death of such a large number of prawns of scampi variety known for their disease resistant properties in the particular stretch of the Palair reservoir, the major hub of freshwater fish and prawn culture, left the local fishermen baffled.
The reservoir is also the major drinking water source for the entire Palair constituency and parts of Khammam constituency.
A similar incident was reported in Wyra river at Jalimudi village where more than five quintals of fish were found dead in the water body, the major drinking water source in Madhira mandal on Monday.
The sudden death of a large number of prawns in the reservoir appears unusual and warrants a thorough probe to unravel the exact reason behind the incident, says Lingaiah, president of the local fishermen cooperative society.