Greens see red over Periyar river pollution in Kochi

Allege that Pollution Control Board officials refuse to collect water sample

Kerala Pollution Control Board says it has collected samples of the Periayr river water near Merchem company. Photo : Special Arrangement

Environmental activists in Kochi have again locked horns with the Kerala Pollution Control Board over the alleged pollution of the Periyar.

Environmentalists on Wednesday alleged that the board officials at the environment surveillance centre in Eloor failed to collect samples from near Edayar where discolouration of the river was reported on Tuesday.

Purushan Eloor, spokesperson of the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi, said the board officials refused to collect the samples stating that there was only a patch of white discharge near the region close to Merchem company. We had alerted the board officials immediately after detecting the discolouration but they were late to reach the site, he said.

During the last few weeks industrial units dumped effluents into the river and the board had failed miserably to check the pollution of Periyar, Mr. Purushan said. The ecological condition of Kuzhikandam creek has worsened due to the rampant discharge of effluents, he said.

Senior officials of the board at the surveillance centre said they had collected samples from near the Merchem company. "We are verifying whether there was any presence of pollutants in it," they said.

The board representatives also said there was only a white patch visible in the river and rejected claims made by the environmental acitivists that the residents had experienced foul smell immediately after the discolouration was reported. Dredging work was progressing in the area for the regulator-cum-bridge at Pathalam. This might be a reason for the discolouration, they said.