KOCHI: The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has said there is nothing extraordinary in the discolouration of the Periyar, noticed in the past couple of days, even as the water appeared to be returning to its normal colour in the Eloor-Edayar region on Thursday.

"There is no cause for alarm," PCB Member Secretary Jayaprasad S.D. told The Hindu . "There is no threat of toxicity in the drinking water being piped from the river. No extra toxicity was found in the water samples collected from the river on Wednesday following the river turning brownish grey and flowing upstream under the impact of the high tide," he said.

Further analysis

Mr. Jayaprasad said his observation was based on the `preliminary analysis' of the samples. He, however, said that the samples needed extensive analysis in the PCB lab. This would be done in the coming days. The PCB had chosen to have a preliminary analysis in a private lab in the presence of PCB analysts, scientists and senior officials because of the emergency situation.

Mr. Jayaprasad said the samples were tested for phosphate, iron, chlorine and sulphate, which were allegedly discharged into the Periyar by the major factories in the area. "There were no excess values of these factors in the samples," he said.

No extra toxicity

He also ruled out extra toxicity in the water body because of the recent discolouration. He based his assumption on the fact that fish was unharmed in the river. "Had the water been toxic beyond its normal levels, it would have resulted in mass fish kill," he said.

Mr. Jayaprasad said, though a conclusion would have to wait until the results of the full-fledged analysis were available, his hunch was that the discolouration was caused by either by the dumping of large quantities of `clayey material' (by building constructors) or the `scrapping of the riverbed' (natural or man-made).

The high tide during the past days could have been an impetus too. He, however, emphasised that other factors in the samples also needed to be studied.

The chief environmental engineer at the PCB's Kochi regional office said the intensive surveillance along the river, especially at the possible sites of effluents dumping by the nearby factories would continue and immediate action would be taken if any factory found violating the rules. The special team posted there in view of the possibility of dumping during the Onam days would stay back until next Sunday, he said.

District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, who had on Wednesday served show-cause notice on two factories for alleged dumping of effluents, said he was waiting for the PCB's report for further action.

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