The discolouration of the Periyar along the Eloor-Edayar industrial area at the time of heavy rains is on the rise, indicating clandestine discharge from industrial units.
The red colour detected along the river stretch close to the industrial area on Thursday evening was the latest episode in the discolouration of the waterbody. At least seven such incidents have been reported since the start of 2022.
No action has been taken against violators by enforcement agencies, including the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB). The illegal discharge often occurs at the time of heavy rains, as violators use it as an opportunity to dump effluents. The red colour was visible from 4 p.m. on Thursday after heavy showers in various parts of the city and its outskirts since morning. Local residents alleged that the board officials did not respond in time after the discolouration was noticed.
However, officials at the Environment Surveillance Centre at Eloor dismissed the charge, saying that they had collected samples. The exact reason could be ascertained only after testing, but preliminary inference showed that the colour change might have occurred following discharge of water from barren lands and paddy fields close to the industrial area, they said. On whether effluents dumped in contaminated paddy fields like Chakkarachal and Edayattuchal had flown into the river, the officials said it could be confirmed only after sample analysis.
The discolouration of the river has become a regular phenomenon on the industrial stretch. From August to December last, at least seven such incidents were reported in the region. The PCB had then admitted that it lacked the mechanism to identify the source within a few minutes of the incident owing to manpower shortage and absence of facilities like speed boats.
