Eloor residents are once again up in arms after water in the Periyar at the Pathalam bridge-cum-regulator turned white and appeared frothing on Sunday morning. They alleged that the change in colour was the result of dumping of waste from the Edayar industrial area.
Mohammed Iqbal, a spokesperson for Eloor Janajagratha Samiti, a people’s combine keeping vigil on pollution in the area, alleged that the white sludge-like substance found in the water could be waste generated by industrial units. Several units allegedly dump waste into the water at night despite a strict vigil.
An official of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board said that scientists had visited the spot and collected samples of water. They will be tested before a report is prepared.
Police teams from Binanipuram and Eloor also visited the spot as well as premises of the nearby industrial units after they were alerted by local residents to the change in the colour of water.
Eloor municipal chairperson C.P. Usha said she was alerted to the incident, and that the municipality was looking into it. Meanwhile, Mr. Iqbal said some other parts of the Periyar had also turned white in the afternoon.
The change in the colour of water near the industrial area has been frequent. For the record, the stretch of the river near Eloor had turned rust red in the first week of January this year.