Paradip: A day after a large number of dead fish were found floating in Bata river at Balijhara in Paradip leaving the locals worried, officials of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) collected water samples from the river and sent them for examination to asceretain the large scale death of fish on Sunday morning.
"Something similar had happened in Bata river tso years ago. The tests then had revealed that lack of oxygen level in the water had caused the death of the fish. We have collected samples and sent them for examination to find out the reason behind the large number of fishes dying,” Regional Officer of SPCB, Prashant Kar said.
However, the locals have alleged that the aquatic animals are dying in huge numbers due to the effluents released into the river by industries in the area polluting its water.
“The fish died either due to polluted water or the uncleanliness on the riverbed,” said Debasis Nayak, a local resident.
Several varieties of fresh water fish, including Rohu (Rohi), Mrigal (Mirkali) and Catla (Bhakura) were found lifeless on the riverbed.