Protesters claimed the incident was caused by the illegal discharge of chemical waste from nearby factories.
Fish farms in panchayats such as Varapuzha, Kadamakkudy and Cheranalloor saw a large number of dead fish on Tuesday.
Local fish farmers, especially those associated with cage farming, have reported losses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars due to massive fish die-offs, as reported by PTI.
VIDEO | Hundreds of dead fish found floating in the #Periyar river. It is suspected that the fish died after the discharge of industrial effluents upstream in the Eloor-Edayar area. #KeralaThe Ernakulam district.
(Full video available on PTI Videos –… pic.twitter.com/m5yCN6mLje
– Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 22, 2024
Following widespread protests, District Collector NSK Umesh has ordered the State Pollution Control Board to urgently probe into the reasons behind the massive fish die-off, official sources said.
Pollution Control Board officials collected samples of water and dead fish from the incident site and sent them to the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) laboratory for thorough examination.
Under the Fort Kochi sub-collector, the government has also formed a special committee to look into the developments and submit a report on the incident within a week, the officials told PTI.
During their initial investigation, Agency officials noted that a large number of fish had died due to a sudden and significant reduction in the level of oxygen in the water.
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The district collector also ordered the environmental engineer of the Pollution Control Board to report whether the mass fish kill was due to the discharge of chemical effluents into the river as it is an industrial area.
The collector said the CCTV footage should be checked and strict action should be taken against such establishments, in case any are found.
Moreover, at Ellor Pollution Control Board, fish farmers, residents, environmentalists and Congress workers protested in large numbers on Wednesday.
In protest, they raised slogans after dumping the dead fish in front of the office, accusing the authorities of not taking strict action against factories discharging chemical effluent into the Periyar river.
Minister of State for Industries P Rajeeve said, “A committee has been formed to study this issue and it has been directed to submit a detailed report. The water samples were collected and sent to the KUFOS laboratory for examination.
He added that all necessary measures have been taken in this regard to address the concerns of the local population. He added that the examination would help determine whether the decrease in oxygen level or the discharge of effluent was the cause of the massive fish die-off.
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