Fish bring toxic Periyar to the surface

KOCHI: Expressing concern over the increasing incidents of fish deaths in the Periyar River, environmentalists brushed aside the claims made by Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) that the fish had died due to oxygen starvation. “It is common for the levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water to go down gradually when the high-level of biodegradable waste in a water body. Under such circumstances, the aquatic organisms living in the region migrate to places where the DO is adequate, rather than dying out. However, when toxic chemical waste is dumped into a water body, the level of oxygen drops down drastically. That is when the aquatic life dies out suddenly,” said environmentalist S Sitaraman.“Many manufacturing units along the banks of Periyar wait for the rains, in order to let out their toxic wastes into the river. However, when the river fails to swell up to the expected level, the accumulated toxins kill the fish. The Pollution Control Board is not ignorant to this practice,” he said. He further added that there have been instances of vendors selling the fish that died owing to habitat pollution. Such fish would also have traces of toxins in their system, making it harmful for anyone who consumes it.Environmental activist Purushan Eloor of the Periyar Samrakshana Samithi said, “On Tuesday, the sight near the Pathalam bund was very disturbing. All kinds of fish, including the big ones, were floating on the surface gasping for breath. It was the largest scale of fish death in the area until now.”Meanwhile, the KSPCB officials denied that there were any chances of industrial discharge in the Pathalam area. “It is true that the DO reduces gradually when the organic waste is high in the water body. Under normal circumstances they migrate to other oxygen-rich area. However, the fish in the Pathalam bund region are unable to migrate as the water has been stagnant for a while and there is little flow from the upstream. The possibility of industrial discharge in the Pathalam bund area is nil as the industries capable of such pollution are located downstream,” said K V Sajeev, Environmental Engineer in-charge of Eloor, KSPCB.