Published Aug 16, 2026 | 5:04 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 16, 2026 | 5:11 PM
Several species of fish and other aquatic life, including mullet, ladyfish, silver biddy, karva, prawns and crabs, have been found dead.
Residents of eight fishing villages near the Ennore estuary have been staging a road blockade on the Thalanguppam Highway after tonnes of dead fish were found floating in the Kosasthalaiyar River from the morning of August 15, allegedly after a heavily contaminated industrial discharge entered the water body. The chemicals allegedly entered the river through the nearby Buckingham Canal.
The fishermen have been staging protests demanding accountability from the authorities over continuous pollution of the river. They stated that no government officials have visited or met the affected fishermen so far.
The dead fish started appearing and spread across over 6 kms in the river from the Buckingham Canal near Kattukuppam, past the North Chennai Thermal Power Station and towards the Kulikkam/Kulivakkam area. Several species of fish and other aquatic life, including mullet, ladyfish, silver biddy, karva, prawns and crabs, have been found dead.
According to a DT Next report citing local residents, the latest incident has been of a much larger extent compared to previous instances of fish deaths caused by chemical contamination of the water.
“This happens continuously, frequently. This time it is a bit more. Water mixed with chemicals is being released from the Manali side through a canal. It mixes with the backwaters and, during low tide, comes towards the sea,” R.L. Srinivasan, president of the Ennore Fishermen Co-operative Society, was quoted as saying by the report.
Fishermen have alleged that the chemicals, including industrial waste, were released into the water body during the night so as to prevent the residents from detecting it. They say the continuous pollution of the water bodies, especially due to waste from fertiliser factories, has largely impacted their livelihood.
“First, it started with releasing the hot water decades ago. Now, they are sending all kinds of chemical water into the backwaters,” a fisherman was quoted as saying.
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(Edited by Fayisa CA)
