Periyar fish kill: Waste oil recycling firm booked for polluting river in Kerala

Kochi: A case has been filed against a private company for allegedly polluting the Periyar River here. This comes weeks after environmental activists and locals protested against the company's illegal discharge of chemical effluents into the water, which threatened biodiversity. The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has also issued a notice to Cee Jee Lubricants, one of several companies along the banks of the Periyar River, following the violation detected during recent patrols. Police and the SPCB adopted the tough stand against the firm amidst a raging row over the recent mass death of fish in Periyar river.

A police officer said a case was registered against the company based on a complaint from Shabeer, a local environment activist. "The case was registered for releasing effluents in the water body and polluting it. IPC Sections 269 and 277 were invoked against it," he said. IPC 269 refers to negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life while IPC 277 refers to fouling water of public spring or reservoir.

According to sources, the authorities and activists have been patrolling the industrial area along the banks of Periyar for some time. When the colour of the river turned black early this week, they carried out a search and found that the company's waste deposit was the reason. Following this, the SPCB issued a closure notice to Cee Jee Lubricants. The company, situated in the industrial development area at Edayar, Muppathadam, operates as a used/waste oil recycling unit.

Kochi had witnessed widespread protests by fish farmers, local people, environmental activists and political parties after dead fish were found floating in large numbers in fish farms across panchayats such as Varapuzha, Kadamakkudy, and Cheranalloor near here last month.

After facing flak from the residents and opposition parties, the Kerala government had last month 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. Environmental activists and local people had alleged that authorities were not taking stringent measures against the factories that allegedly discharge chemical effluents into the river.
(With PTI inputs.)