Chemicals polluting Manipur’s Thoubal river

Our correspondent IMPHAL, December 23 [dropcap]A[/dropcap]mid the row of pollution along Thoubal river stretch due to mining, some unknown persons again polluted the river by emptying many bleaching powder (Calcium hypochlorite) bags to catch fish near Thoubal bridge on Monday, according to People for Animals (PFA) Manipur. On hearing the news, PFA team moved to catch the culprits. “Our members feels inhalation of chlorine filled air when they are about to reach the spot.Many aquatic animals were seen writhing in the water due to toxicity,” says Managing Trustee L.Biswajeet Meitei of PFA Manipur in a press release. “On seeing our approach, the illegal fishers managed to escape.”PFA team started to collect the fishes and put it in a large vessel containing clean water. In the meantime, members of Thoubal college student union led by General Secretary T Rojit joined PFA in rescuing the aquatic animals. The team had even pulls up three big fish nets found in the water. Onlookers at the spot informed the PFA team that the fisherpersons were mostly from nearby areas of proper Thoubal and team tries to locate the source of bleaching powder. Bleaching power is not available in the market and it is available only in the store of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED). PFA suspected that the chemical were brought from bleaching powder store of Thoubal PHED as the chemical is available to the public only through the proper channel of the concerned officials. “We also found more than 4 empty bags of the chemical from the nearby spot. It is estimated that the amount of chemicals they used in their attempt to catch the fishes at Thoubal river could treat at least 40 million litres of water. Besides it is also believed that the high concentration of Calcium hypoclorite can burnt the mucous membrane of aquatic animals and plants. Small fish and other young crabs, shrimps may die instantly as it will adversely affect the aquatic ecosystem of the Thoubal River. High concentration of Calcium hypoclorite in water is also not good for human consumption,the press release felt. A big fish which was rescued from the spot died yesterday itself after numerous attempts to save it. Many passers by watch the rescue work undertaken by PFA team as they never saw rescuing fish and crabs from water. Rescued and alive fishes and craps were later released back today. “The act (of killing fish in such a way)is punishable with imprisonment up to 1 year and 6 month which can be extended up to 6 years with fine under the Water (Prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974.,”the release added “It is also against Wildlife protection act.” People also appealed to stop fishing by electrocution and chemical. PFA knew that people who follow such crime are not poor fisherman but greedy and anti-socials.It also appealed to Chief Engineer of PHED to check the supply and distribution of bleaching powder to general public.