India, April 13 -- The images from Pashan Lake this week - of dead fish floating along the edges - felt disturbingly familiar.

Not because this is the first time the lake has seen trouble, but because Pune has seen this pattern before. A sudden ecological shock. Emergency visits by officials. Samples collected. Swift action. And then, gradually, the city moves on.

This time, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has responded quickly and in an unprecedented way. Officials, including the executive engineer, have been suspended, the sewage treatment plant (STP) near the lake was found shut, and both civic authorities and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board have begun probes. Water samples show a drop in dissolved oxygen - a key factor ...