The incident of fish-sting on Tuesday evening at Girgaum Chowpatty during Ganpati immersion, forced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to prohibit children from entering the seawater.
According to experts, the possibility of the incident repeating itself in future cannot be ruled out, as the weather condition at the seashore is favourable for the stingray fish.
Dr Vinay Deshmukh, principal scientist, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), said, “During this time of the year, the female stingray fish come out on the shore for reproduction. In addition to this, the present climate is such that there is high humidity in the air, which causes warming of the upper layer of the seawater. The sudden rainfall resulted in the stirring of this layer, due to which the fish came out in large numbers.”
“In view of this, we have decided not to allow kids to enter the seawater during the immersion. People have been requested not to enter the seawater barefoot,” said Kishor Kshirsagar, deputy municipal commissioner.
Taking note of the incidents, the BMC has decided to provide additional medical aid at health posts in the immersion spots.
Meanwhile, six Ganpati revellers, who were stung by jellyfish and stingray fish during immersion at Girgaum Chowpatty,
continue to remain hospitalised at GT Hospital in Dhobi Talao.
Since some of those present on the spot had clicked pictures of the fish, the doctors said it helped them decide the treatment quickly, as they could identify the fish. “The symptoms of the patients were those of fish bites, but as they had pictures of the fish, our
treatment was targeted. As they (fish) were non-poisonous, we started the patients on antibiotic and painkillers,” said Dr M. Shah from Nair
Hospital in Mumbai Central that treated 38 such patients. “We admitted 13 patients who had severe pain. By morning, all the patients had recuperated well and were discharged from the hospital.”
Twenty-one patients were discharged from GT Hospital, which treated 28 Ganpati revelers with stingray and jellyfish bites. “None of patients developed any serious complications and the pain was restricted to the bite region,” said a doctor from GT Hospital.
Dr Suhasini Nagda, director (medical education and major hospitals) said “We will keep ready antihistaminic medicines, pain killer tablets and injections, two ambulances — cardiac and general — and four
doctors in the health posts at major immersion spots so that the devotees can be given immediate treatment.”
To prevent Ganpati devotees from entering the seawater, the civic body has also decided to increase the number of floats and boats for the immersion.