Local fish farmers, particularly those involved in cage farming, reported significant losses amounting to several lakhs due to the mass fish deaths.
Published May 22, 2024 | 5:49 PM ⚊ Updated May 22, 2024 | 5:49 PM
The dead fish were found in large numbers in fish farms across panchayats (Supplied)
Thousands of dead fish were found floating in the Periyar river, sparking protests from local farmers and residents in Kochi on Wednesday, 22 May. They claim that illegal discharge of chemical waste from nearby factories was to blame for the incident.
Local fish farmers, particularly those involved in cage farming, reported significant losses amounting to several lakhs due to the mass fish deaths.
The dead fish were found in large numbers in fish farms across panchayats such as Varapuzha, Kadamakkudy, and Cheranalloor since Tuesday.
The widespread protests by the fish farmers, locals, and environmental activists prompted the district administration to take action.
District Collector N S K Umesh has ordered the state Pollution Control Board to urgently investigate the cause of the fish deaths, according to official sources.
The government also formed a special committee under the aegis of Fort Kochi Sub-Collector to study the developments and submit a report in this regard within a week, they said.
Pollution Control Board officials have already collected samples of water and dead fish from the incident site and sent them to the laboratory of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) in Kochi for a detailed examination.
As per the preliminary assumption by the board officials, fish might have died en masse due to a sudden and significant decrease in the oxygen level in the water.
As it is an industrial area, the District Collector also entrusted the environmental engineer of the Pollution Control Board to report whether the mass fish death had happened as a result of chemical effluents being discharged into the river.
CCTV visuals should be examined, and stringent action should be taken against such establishments, if any, at the earliest, the Collector has said.
State Industries Minister P Rajeev, who is in charge of the Ernakulam district, said on Wednesday that the government is looking into the matter and that all necessary steps have been taken in this regard to address the concerns of local people.
He said that the committee headed by the sub collector, will conduct an inquiry and submit its findings within one week. Follow up actions will be initiated after this, the minister said.
“A committee has been formed to study this, and it has been instructed to submit a detailed report. The water samples were collected and sent to the KUFOS lab for examination,” he told reporters in Kochi.
“All kinds of allegations being raised after the incident, including release of effluents from the industrial units into the mainstream, will be investigated,” said Rajeev.
He added that the examination would reveal whether the decreasing oxygen levels or the discharge of effluents caused the mass fish death.
Meanwhile, the local Pollution Control Board office at Eloor on Wednesday witnessed huge protests by fish farmers, local people, environmental activists and Congress workers.
The protesters put dead fish in front of the office and raised slogans against the board officials, alleging they were not taking stringent measures against the factories that allegedly discharge chemical effluents into the River Periyar.
Talking to the South First, Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi president Charles George said that there was a need of a comprehensive inquiry.
“About 300 chemical companies belch out poisonous fumes, various organic fertilizers, metallic components, and toxic metals like cadmium, copper, and zinc into the Periyar River. The Pollution Control Board is nothing but a mute spectator,” he said.
Charles mentioned that he had contacted Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan and sought an urgent report from the Fisheries Deputy Director.
“But that’s a normal procedure. We want these chemical companies to bear the loss suffered by the fishermen and pay them adequate compensation. The state government should also announce a relief package,” he added.
At the same time, Kerala Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation (KSMTF) state president Jackson Pollayil told South First that there is a fear that if chemical effluents caused the death of fish in the Periyar River, the fish wealth of the Arabian Sea is also at risk.
“Periyar empties into the Arabian Sea. If it’s the chemicals that resulted in the death of these fish, it’s a serious matter. The fish wealth in the Periyar River has been depleting for some time now, and no one wants to talk about this. We demand that if it’s the industries that caused this catastrophe, they should be punished severely,” said Jackson.
Meanwhile, the authorities have brushed aside the allegations that effluents were discharged into the river.
They point out that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in collaboration with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), is regularly monitoring the Water Quality of Periyar through a network of 12 monitoring stations under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP).
“The KSPCB has also set up a 24-hour surveillance office at Eloor that continuously monitors the industries in the state, including industries situated in the Periyar Basin,” said an official.
The official further added that the KSPCB is carrying out heavy metals and pesticide pollution monitoring in Periyar River once every six months.
Heavy metals, namely cadmium, arsenic, copper, lead, nickel, chromium (total) and manganese have not been reported in the river except for traces of iron and zinc, he added.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
