PUDUCHERRY: Scientists from the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC), who collected water samples from the Sankaraparani river on Friday following reports of frothing, confirmed on Friday that the water showed no signs of acidity or alkalinity. The pH value was found to be seven — neutral — indicating no chemical contamination, officials said.
The samples were collected after farmers along the river basin raised concerns over the thick foam seen floating on the water on Thursday morning, sparking fears of industrial discharge.
It may be noted that following heavy rain in Tamil Nadu, the Veedur dam had reached full capacity, leading to the release of 2,500 cubic feet of water. The continuous discharge flooded parts of Sankaraparani in Puducherry, submerging low-lying areas near Kaikilpet. Though the outflow was reduced to 1,500 cubic feet on Thursday, residents in Manalipet, Settipet, and Kaikilpet noticed that the water had turned unusually foamy overnight.
“Until Wednesday, the river water was clean. On Thursday, thick foam was seen floating on the surface. We feared chemical waste from industries might have been released into the river,” said Vinayagam, a farmer from Kaikilpet.
However, the foam disappeared by Friday, and test results from PPCC confirmed the pH to be neutral, said Ramesh, senior scientific officer, Department of Science, Technology and Environment (DSTE). He added that there was no evidence of harm to fish or other aquatic life in the river.