PARADIP: Thousands of dead fish were found floating in Kapil Jor creek near Mausi Maa temple in Paradip on Sunday, triggering panic among locals.
Locals said fish of various sizes were seen floating in the water, resulting in a strong foul smell in the region early in the morning. They alleged that the mass fish death was caused by the release of effluents from the fertiliser plant of Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL) into nearby water bodies.
The locals further claimed that the company was illegally discharging waste, leading to severe pollution in the creek and large-scale loss of aquatic life.
Following the incident, officials from the pollution control board along with PPL representatives visited the creek to take stock of the situation. However, PPL sources denied any possibility of acidic water or effluent discharge from the plant.
Meanwhile, a team from the Environment department rushed to the spot and collected water samples to determine the exact cause of the fish deaths.
Regional officer of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), Paradip Pushkar Chandra Behera said the mixing of organic waste in stagnant water could be a possible cause of pollution in the creek. He added that it is the responsibility of the Paradip Port Authority to ensure regular cleaning of such water bodies, though little effective action has been observed so far.
Behera said while the PPL team inspected the site, no leakage from the plant was detected. However, OSPCB officials have collected water samples from three different locations to verify whether any effluent discharge, including ammonium nitrate, has occurred. The samples have been sent for laboratory analysis, and strict action will be taken if any irregularity is found, he added.