The recent mass death of fish in the Periyar has sparked outrage among cage fish farmers and local representatives, leading to heated protests and demands for immediate action. On Wednesday, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) convened a crucial meeting at its Eloor office to address the escalating situation. Panchayat presidents from affected areas, MLA T J Vinod, chief environmental engineer of the district, and officials from relevant departments were present at the meeting in which key decisions were made regarding the crisis.
The PCB has attributed the fish deaths to a depletion of oxygen levels in the river, supposedly caused by the opening of the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge. However, the protesters and and local representatives dispute this claim. According to Ernakulam chief environmental engineer (CEE), the root cause of the pollution is yet to be identified. “It is suspected that many factors are in play here. The report based on the analysis of the samples will be submitted on Thursday. Anything regarding the matter can be said only after discussions with the experts with the PCB,” the CEE told TNIE.
As per a communique issued by the CEE, during the meeting which also had the KSPCB chairperson in attendance, it has been decided to submit a report to the state government regarding the loss suffered by the farmers. “Steps are being taken to ensure adequate compensation to farmers who incurred huge losses due to the mass fish death. The report will be submitted to the state government in seven days,” says the communication.
It has also been decided to submit a recommendation to the state government seeking free rations for six months to the traditional inland fishermen who have been affected by the pollution. It has been decided to take immediate steps to remove the decaying fish from the river and dispose of it. The board chairman has assured that an investigation will be conducted against the officials who have been negligent in doing their duty and action will be taken as per the probe report.
PCB chairperson also promised to bring the companies located along the Periyar into the investigation circle and those found dumping effluents in the river will be dealt with seriously. Meanwhile, irked by the failure of the PCB authorities to take action against the errant factories emptying effluents into the Periyar that led to the complete annihilation of fish, cage fish farmers on Wednesday lay siege to the PCB engineer’s office at Eloor. The protestors wanted the PCB to take immediate action against the factories that have been ‘illegally’ dumping effluents containing harmful chemicals into the river.
“We have been bearing the brunt of the inaction of the PCB officials for many years. Time and again we notified authorities about the presence of pollutants in the river water. The odour and the changing colour of the water are indicators of it being contaminated with effluents. But the PCB has been turning a blind eye to our complaints,” says Remya Thankachan, a member of Cheranelloor grama panchayat.
According to her, residents, cage fish farmers and people’s representatives of each panchayat situated along the 10km stretch of the Periyar came together for the protest. “People and farmers from Varapuzha, Kadamakudy, Cheranelloor, Mulavukad, Eloor, Alangad, Kunnathukara and other areas came with baskets filled with rotting fish to highlight the seriousness of the situation,” she adds. The protestors, who gathered before the gates of the Eloor PCB office, were so agitated by the lackadaisical attitude of the PCB officials that they even threw the rotting fish onto the office compound.
Nexus between industries, PCB: AIYF
AIYF state president N Arun demanded a judicial inquiry into the fish death incident. Arun says that the fact that chemical waste was released into the river water, which is a drinking water source for lakhs of people, is worrying. He alleged that the investigations at the departmental level are a farce. “Various companies are illegally installing underground pipelines and pumping out chemical effluent. The fact that none of the earlier investigations found this shows the lack of transparency in the probes,” he alleged.
Expert panel to probe issue
Following the directive given by Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian, a seven-member committee comprising experts from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences has been ordered to investigate the incident of fish kill and widespread destruction of cage fish farming in Periyar. The committee was constituted as per the request of the joint director of fisheries as per the instructions of the minister. The committee has been asked to submit its report by May 24.