Mass fish death in Periyar: Kerala govt comes out with preventive measures

Kochi: The Kerala government on Thursday held a meeting and worked out long and short term measures to prevent recurrence of the death of thousands of fish in the Periyar river.

Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev said that the short term preventive measures would include formulating protocols for opening the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge on Periyar river and installation of biofilters on industrial units on the river’s banks. The long term measures would be with regard to protecting and reclaiming the Periyar as well as other rivers in the state and would include setting up of a river-related authority, he said. Rajeev said the deaths of thousands of fish, including those reared by local fish farmers in cages, occurred after the shutters of the regulator-cum-bridge were opened.

In order to ascertain the cause of the death, the waters were being tested by the Kerala Pollution Control Board, the samples of the dead fishes were being examined by Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and a special committee under the sub-collector was looking into the incident. Based on the findings of the Board, KUFOS and the special committee, the sub-collector will give a report on Saturday and further steps would be taken accordingly. The short term measures based on the report would include taking steps to set up a high-level committee, if required, working out the appropriate compensation to the fish farmers and formulating protocols on opening of the regulator-cum-bridge, he added.

The protocols would be made by the Irrigation Department which along with the Board and the Local Self Government Department would be responsible for supervising the implementation of the norms.

With regard to the complaints of a bad smell emanating from the river for some time, the minister said the Board had given notices to around 20 companies to install biofilters and while these were put in place, they were not operating properly. Therefore, directions would be issued to install new biofilters, in accordance with a report given by the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), by July 31.