Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that a preliminary investigation into the mass fish kill near the Pathalam regulator and downstream of Periyar River on May 20 has not revealed any discharge of effluents from the nearby industrial area.
In his reply to a submission by T.J. Vinod, MLA, in the Assembly, Mr. Vijayan said that the Kerala State Pollution Control Board’s preliminary finding showed that the fish death occurred following a sudden spike in the flow of water with reduced oxygen levels from above the regulator into the downstream. It occurred after the shutters of the regulator were opened amidst heavy rains. The inspections showed that dissolved oxygen was beyond the minimum level required at the time of the incident, he said.
The inspections by the surveillance wing of the board also showed that there was no discharge of chemical effluents from the five industrial units having permission to direct the treated wastewater into the river. The board will submit a detailed report on the incident after getting the report from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, he said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the fishermen had suffered a loss of about 13.56 crore following the mass fish kill as per the findings of the Department of Fisheries. A decision on providing compensation to the fishermen will be taken on the basis of the recommendations made by the department, he said.
Published - June 11, 2024 06:11 pm IST
