KOCHI:Fish continued to come up dead for the second day running on Friday in the Periyar.Strong protest from the public followed the fish kill near the regulator-cum-bridge at Pathalam.Protesters criticised the Ernakulam Collector for not taking action or monitoring the situation despite fish kill having occurred on Thursday too.
It was also alleged a group of people were trying to sell the dead fish in the market. “They collected the dead fish, mostly pearlspots and shrimp, using traditional boats,” said Roy, a native of Pathalam.
Fish kill started in the Periyar on Thursday afternoon. Most of the fish dead were freshwater ones and the number was rising.To launch control measures and to stop the pollution from spreading, Eloor village officer Rani Mathew, Eloor Municipality Health Department officer Lalu and police officers visited the area. Environmentalists said the water was discoloured and alleged the industrial units of Edayar were the reason.
An environmentalist said tests on water samples collected from the river had shown the oxygen level was critically low.
It read 0.25 at 6 am while in the test conducted at 10 am, the oxygen level was 1.41. The minimum level required for sustenance is 4.5.Office-bearers of the Ernakulam District Residents Associations Apex Council (EDRAAC) demanded stringent action against the individuals/firms responsible for the pollution of the river.