Thousands of dead fish were spotted on the banks of Kapiljor river in Paradip on Sunday.
Though the exact reason behind the mass fish deaths has not been ascertained yet, the locals alleged chemical pollutants mixing in the river.
Environmentalist Pravesh Chandra Swain said, “Kapiljor is an old river affected by tides. A couple of days ago, the ocean water had turned unnaturally blue with some chemicals floating on it. The Pollution Control Board had taken cognizance of the chemical in the sea. It was revealed that the water treatment plant of the IOCL has been lying defunct for the last two years.”
"The untreated water from the IOCL goes straight to the ocean which is directly affecting the marine life. This Kapiljor River is connected to the ocean. So the fishes of this river have also perished,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that dead fishes floating on river is not new to Paradip. Tons of dead fish were found floating in Balijhara Creek in the port city in May 2022.
The species of dead fish included Catla (Bhakura) and Rohu (Rohi).