Kochi: Residents and farmers are protesting the mass death of fish in Periyar. They protested in front of the Pollution Control Board office in Elur with dead fish against the apathy of the officials. Protesters blocked the Chief Engineer. Protesters also threw rotten fish into the office premises.
Clashes broke out after the police stopped the protestors. There was a scuffle between the police and the protesters. The police tried to stop the rotten fish from being thrown into the office premises but were unsuccessful. Farmers say that due to the mass death of fish, there has been a loss of crores.
The preliminary estimate of the Fisheries Department is that more than 150 fish cages have been completely destroyed. Fishermen have lost crores of rupees. Varapuzha, Cheranellur and Kadamakudy panchayats have suffered the most losses. Most of the fishes died in Varapuzha. According to the fisheries department report, the toxic river has also flowed into the Kochi Corporation area.
