KOCHI: In a bizarre incident, the Periyar turned black in certain areas near the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge at 10am on Wednesday. The residents said that a foul smell emanated from the river after it turned black. Soon after the discolouration, many fish died and were seen floating on the water.
The residents alleged that the river is heavily polluted by the waste generated from the industries in Edayar and that is why the colour of the river changed to black. “This is a clear case of negligence from the Pollution Control Board (PCB). Six months ago, the board officials had said they would continuously monitor the Periyar and take action to keep the river clean. Nothing has happened till now. The government should investigate the negligence shown by PCB,” said Purushan Eloor, an environmentalist.
However, PCB environmental engineer P B Sreelakshmy said the black colour was formed due to the waste accumulating at the shutter under the bridge. “The river’s flow is halted and the shutter hasn’t been opened for days. So, the accumulated waste creates an anaerobic condition. There will be a dead zone beneath the river and the sediments accumulated will be taken up during the tide. That’s why the colour spread to a good distance. Fish deaths occur due to the depletion of oxygen,” she said.
She said they have formulated a ‘River Action Plan’ to find a permanent solution to this issue. “The quality of the river will be improved once the plan is implemented.”