Chennai, Aug 22:
The Tamil Nadu government has constituted a four-member committee comprising officials from the Fisheries Department and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to probe the mass death of fish in the Ennore Estuary.
The issue was raised during Zero Hour in the Assembly on Friday, with Opposition members, including AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, PMK’s A Ganeshkumar, DMK’s Thangam Thennarasu and Congress’ Tharahai Cuthbert, urging the government to take precautionary measures and provide relief to affected fishermen.
Environment and Climate Change Minister VK Rajeev said preliminary findings from field visits to five locations, including the Ennore Estuary, indicated that chemical substances from factories were not responsible for the fish deaths.
According to the minister, around 2,150 kg of fish had died and the government’s assessment pointed to human waste as the likely cause. He explained that the mixing of human waste with river or canal water could reduce dissolved oxygen levels, leading to fish deaths.
Pollution Control Board officials found dissolved oxygen levels had fallen below 2 mg, compared with the normal level of around 4 mg, at two locations where the deaths occurred.
The four-member panel has been asked to submit its report within 10 days.
Thousands of fish and other aquatic animals had washed ashore along the Kosasthalaiyar River near the Ennore Estuary since August 15. Local fishing communities, however, had alleged that thermal pollution from hot-water discharge from the NTECL Vallur power facility could have contributed to the incident.