BERHAMPUR: Chemical-laced water could be the reason behind mass fish death near the fishery jetty inside the premises of Gopalpur port, said the preliminary report of the district Fisheries wing.
Tonnes of dead fish were seen floating near the jetty since Monday. Suspecting release of chemical effluents from Gopalpur port and nearby Odisha Sands Complex (OSCOM) of Indian Rare Earths Ltd, the fishermen community had urged Ganjam Collector Prem Chandra Choudhary to initiate necessary measures. The fishermen have stopped fishing activities since the incident took place.
Acting on the direction of the Collector, Deputy Director of district Fisheries Siba Prasad Bhoi visited the affected area with a team and collected water and dead fish samples for examination.
The exact cause of the mass fish death can be ascertained only after the test reports are out, said Bhoi. The authorities of Gopalpur port and OSCOM have been asked for details of the water released by them into the sea, he said.
Bhoi further informed that steps are being taken to retrieve the dead fish for disposal as they have started spreading a foul odour in the area.Meanwhile, District fishermen union president B Simadri alleged that the mouth of the fishing jetty has been choked since long. While the stagnant water is getting contaminated, rainwater mixed with fertilisers stocked in the port godown as well chemical effluents from OSCOM is entering into the sea, making the water poisonous.Had the mouth of the jetty been cleared, the toxic content of the water would have minimised, he said and demanded concrete steps to stop mass fish death.