Mass fish kill: Two years on, Periyar fishers await compensation

Two years after the massive fish kill along the downstream of the Periyar River along the Eloor-Edayar industrial stretch in Ernakulam, the fisherfolk are yet to receive the compensation for the heavy loss suffered by them.

Dead fish was found floating on a large-scale on May 21, 2024 from near the Pathalam bund and downstream following suspected release of effluents from industrial units. The Fisheries Department had recommended a compensation of about ₹13.75 crore — ₹7 crore for cage farmers and ₹6.75 crore for fishermen who make a living out of fishing in the river and waterbodies linked to it.

A people’s report prepared by representatives of local residents and environmental activists and experts on the mass fill kill had estimated a loss of ₹31.25 crore for cage fish farmers and ₹10.6 crore for capture fisheries over the six months after the incident.

“We had submitted several requests before various authorities highlighting our crisis since the incident. But we are yet to receive any compensation, though the loss was huge,” said Swapnalal, a cage fish farmer in Varapuzha. “I had deposited around 1, 200 kalanji and 600 karimeen varieties in each cage when the tragedy struck. Many of us had taken loans to carry out the cage farming and the mass fish kill resulted in huge financial burden,” he said.

NGT recommends steps to prevent fish kill in Periyar

Fishermen have urged the government to consider extending due compensation to the fisherfolk as their daily earnings were hit following the contamination of the river. Charles George, State president of the Kerala Matsyathozhilali Aikyavedhi (TUCI), said the loss suffered by the fishermen following the mass fish kill along the industrial stretch was higher than the amount estimated by the Fisheries Department. “We have raised the issue before the government again,” he said.

Purushan Eloor, spokesperson of the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi, said the authorities are yet to implement the key recommendations made by the committees that probed the mass fish kill. “It included the proposal for setting up a dyke wall (embankment) with a walkway along the Eloor-Edayar industrial stretch of the Periyar river to enhance surveillance against pollution.

Senior officials of the district administration said they had submitted the reports on the economic impact of the fish kill on fisherfolk before the government and a decision on the financial compensation remains pending.