Kerala   

Eloor unit denies role in fish kill

Staff Reporter

Pollution Control Board has issued closure notice to the company

KOCHI: Merchem Company has denied any role in the recent fish kill at Ammanthuruthu paddy field in Eloor.

The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) had earlier issued a closure notice to the company alleging that the fish kill occurred due to effluent discharge from the unit.

General Manager (Commercial) Saji Cherian said here on Thursday that the paddy field is located at a higher altitude in the northern side of the factory. Water always flows only to the canal located near the boundary. Hence the flow of water against the gradient is just not possible, he said.

Mr. Cherian said that the company had the storage capacity to receive the raw effluents up to five days of its full operations. Moreover, it had adequate capacity for the raw and recovered water and there was no need to discharge the raw effluents as suspected in the closure order.

He said that the company was allowed to operate after the board agreed for a joint inspection with Eloor grama panchayat and environmentalists. This was a clear indication that the company had no role in the fish kill. He alleged that there were several vested interests working against the company.

Pollution control

Elaborating on the pollution control measures introduced at the Eloor unit, Mr. Cherian said that the company had implemented triple effect evaporation and reverse osmosis systems. It invested Rs.1.75 crore for attaining zero discharge. The company invested about Rs.45 lakh for revamping its scrubbing system and provided online gas monitoring with data logging system.

A press release issued by the company said that the effluents generated in the unit were free of heavy metals or toxic substances detrimental to the environment. These effluents could be treated by universally accepted and proven activated sludge process, the release said.

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