KOCHI: With summer setting in, acute water shortage is reported in several parts of the district. The crisis is aggravated by the rising pollution in the Periyar and its tributaries, the major potable water source for around 40 lakh people living in Kochi.
On Sunday, the Muttar river turned black Once again, causing a massive fish kill. According to local residents, the river turned black around 7 am, and within three hours dead fish started appearing.
Environmentalists attributed the phenomenon to lack of oxygen, toxic effluents discharged from industrial units in the Eloor area and illegal waste dumping in to the river.
‘As usual,’ officers of the Kerala Pollution Control Board collected water samples from the river. The latest incident, a clear indication of deteriorating water quality, has raised questions over worthiness of the water for domestic consumption.
The Collective for Right to Live (CORL), formed by local residents for protection of potable water sources, has decided to stage a hunger strike at High Court Junction here from March 22 to 25, demanding steps to protect the water resources including the Periyar.