Goa, June 9 -- As Panjim's Smart City makeover nears com pletion at a cost of nearly Rs 1,500 crore, the capital's wa ter bodies are telling a very different story - one of ne glect and pollution. Back-to-back incidents of mass fish mortality at Mala Lake and Campal Lake have cast a spotlight on the deteri orating condition of Panjim's lakes, creeks and waterways, raising concerns that authori ties have prioritised cosmetic infrastructure upgrades while allowing critical ecological as sets to decay. After dead fish were found floating in Campal Lake on June 2, O Heraldo revisited the site on Sunday and found plastic bottles, food contain ers, disposable cups and oth er waste still littering the lake within its retaining walls.

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