Chandigarh, Jan. 16 -- Several fish were found dead in Sukhna Lake on Thursday after an oil spill at the regulatory end, triggering environmental alarm. A team from the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) rushed to the site to take stock of the situation and informed the UT chief engineer. Preliminary investigations indicated that the oil leak originated from motor boats operating in the lake, resulting in vast black oil slick in the ecologically fragile waterbody. CPCC member secretary Saurabh Kumar said the team immediately inspected the area. "On Friday, officials from the UT engineering and forest departments will revisit the site. The oil will be pumped out from the affected portion of the lake to prevent further damage," he said. At present, Sukhna Lake operates 135 paddle boats, five shikaras and one cruise boat with a capacity of 20 passengers. The boating activity generates significant revenue, with earnings touching nearly Rs.2 lakh on weekends and around Rs.1 lakh on weekdays. Declared a national wetland in 1988 by the Union ministry of environment and forests and also a "living entity" by the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2020, Sukhna Lake enjoys special conservation status, with its catchment area notified as the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. The man-made, rain-fed lake, spread over 338 acres, is home to 30-odd species of fish, including major Indian carps and some exotic carps. Every year, the UT department of animal husbandry and fisheries stocks fish in the lake, while fish from surrounding areas are washed into the water body during monsoon. Last year, in May, the UT administration had drafted a comprehensive five-year conservation and development plan to preserve and enhance Sukhna Lake. A Wetland Authority has been constituted to oversee the development and conservation efforts, with the administrator of Chandigarh serving as its chairman. One of the primary focuses of the plan is to prevent the ecologically sensitive area from water pollution, and to ensure all future activities or constructions around the lake are approved by the authority. The goal is to maintain the lake's health and ecological balance by protecting aquatic life, while maintaining water levels and cleanliness....