People’s report puts Periyar fish kill loss at over ₹41 crore

A people’s report prepared by representatives of local residents and environmental activists and experts on the mass fill kill in the Periyar in May, has attributed the incident to industrial pollution of the river and called for, among other steps, the immediate restoration of a healthy river ecology, payment of compensation to fishermen who have lost fishing days and fish wealth.

The study group commissioned under the aegis of the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samyukta Samithi, was led by veteran fisheries scientist B. Madusoodana Kurup. The report was presented to Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan in Thiruvananthapuram on July 24 and will be released in Kochi officially on July 27 by former Fisheries Minister S. Sarma, said Charles George, representing the groups that had raised their voice against frequent pollution of the Periyar by untreated industrial waste.

The study said the river, 244-km-long, was the lifeline of central Kerala and was critical to ecological life, generates power, feeds water supply plants, and helps tourism and fisheries.

But the river faces severe pollution, particularly in the Eloor-Edayar stretch, home to Kerala’s largest industrial belt housing over 247 chemical industries. May 20 and 21 saw “a catastrophic fish kill downstream of the Periyar, devastating natural fish stocks and aquaculture operations, resulting in significant economic losses and environmental damage,” the study said.

The Periyar Maleenikarana Virudha Samyukta Samathi, a collective of environmentalists, fishers, academicians, scientists, and NGOs, formed an expert committee chaired by Prof. Kurup to study the incident.

It was found that low dissolved oxygen levels caused by waste accumulation, high hydrogen sulfide and ammonia concentrations were contributing factors in the incident.

The economic impact includes an estimated loss of ₹31.25 crore for cage fish farmers and ₹10.6 crore for capture fisheries over the next six months. Varapuzha, with a significant concentration of aquaculture operations, incurred the highest financial losses, the study said.

The study concluded with a call for urgent action for ecosystem restoration and safeguarding biodiversity and securing livelihoods dependent on the Periyar. Sustainable management practices and environmental conservation efforts are pivotal in mitigating environmental risks and fostering long-term resilience in the region.