KOCHI: The environment activists and the residents of Edayar and Eloor have decided to launch an indefinite agitation against the release of chemical effluents into the Periyar river, posing a health risk to the local populace.
The river has been flowing with red, black, green and white hues for the past three months causing concern among the public. According to Pollution Control Board’s Environmental engineer PB Sreelakshmi, the discolouration of the Periyar is caused by stratification, where the anaerobic action in the bottom of the river turns the water black and the aeration of the upper layer turns the surface water white.
“The cause for fish death is the depletion of oxygen level. We have been pleading with the Irrigation Department to release water so that the flow could be maintained in the river. However, there was no water release after March 23 till April 8. If the flow is maintained there will not be mass fish death. There are no industries at Muttar near the Manjummal regulator,” she said.
The PCB had given instruction to the Irrigation Department to maintain the flow in Periyar after discolouration and fish death were reported in the third week of March. “I have reported the issue to the District Collector. Though the Irrigation Department was told to clear the overgrowth on the banks of the river to monitor the drains opening into the river, no action was taken. Now, We have directed the companies to clear the overgrowth,” said Sreelakshmi.
According to local residents, the Irrigation Department regularly operates the regulator at Paravur Purappallykavu, facilitating the flow of water into the sea. But the regulator at Eloor is rarely opened. Environmentalist Purushan Eloor alleged chemical effluents were the reason for mass fish death.
“The PCB is not properly monitoring the industries which has led to frequent incidents of discolouration of the river and mass fish death,” he said. “The Committee Against Periyar Pollution and Jana Jagratha Samithi will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue. We will chart out the plan to launch an agitation demanding concrete steps to protect the Periyar. The agitation will be launched after April 23,” he said.