The contributions and servitude of the Lebanese Army extend far beyond its valiant role of protecting Lebanon’s borders and maintaining security internally.
When thousands of fish suddenly washed up dead to the shore of the polluted artificial Lake Qaraoun, army units deployed to clear the area and restore it back to normal.
The Litani River Authority stated in a post that more than 120 tons of dead fish were removed from the shore of the lake with the help of the Lebanese Army along with some volunteers.
In doing so, the army worked to prevent people from further collecting the toxic fish with the intention of reselling it in the market. The area reportedly smelled extremely foul with rotting dead fish.
According to officials in the Litani River Authority (which is affiliated with the Energy Ministry), the mass fish death may have been caused by some kind of virus affecting the fish.
However, experts blame the high level of pollution that is prevalent in the lake, despite apparent efforts to control the pollution.
In 2016, the World Bank approved a $55 million loan for the “Lake Qaraoun Pollution Prevention Project” which is supposedly being implemented by the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR).