JHARSUGUDA: With Jharsuguda getting affected by pollution, Bheden river in the district is not left behind. People and local fishermen spotted several dead fish floating in the river near Hirma recently. Locals attributed the incident to industrial pollution caused by the release of effluent from industrial houses into the river, affecting Hirakud reservoir. Foul smell emitting from the dead fish caused inconvenience to the residents of the nearby areas.
“We have never faced such a situation here,” a fisherman of Hirma village, Suren Kalo, said. Contacted, State Pollution Control Board, Jharsuguda unit Regional Officer Niranjan Mallick said there could be several reasons for this incident. “Fish often die during winter due to decrease in oxygen content of the water. However, the actual reason will be ascertained after testing the water sample,” the officer added.