MPCB orders inquiry into fish death, Kasadi river pollution

NAVI MUMBAI: MPCB, regional officer, Anil Mohekar Saturday ordered a through probe into the death of fish in a pond close to Kasadi river that flows a long distance from Taloja to Belapur creek via Kalamboli and Kharghar.
The RO said samples of river water, pond and the dead fish will be tested. The dead fish will be preserved for two days, he said, in ice box and sent to forensic laboratory while the water samples tested at the MPCB lab.
Responding quickly to complaints and the charges made by local fisher folk community of the river water polluted due to "untreated chemical effluents from Taloja CETP that got leaked into the river due to broken MIDC pipeline through which the effluents are disposed into the Belapur creek,’’ the RO sent a team.
While some dead fish was found floating in the pond, Gajanan Kadake, who owns the fish pond said, ``this is a routine happening, and the fish died overnight. The ground water has got polluted and whenever there is untreated effluent released into the river system, it also pollutes the pond water.’’
The locals also said besides the effluents, untreated sewage waste from buildings and the nalas in the area also led to increased pollution while a cross section said, ``this is not a river, but a creek.’’ CETP authorities have denied any pollution charge and said the samples were tested by MPCB and ``we are treating the effluents before releasing it.’’
Yogesh Pagade, who is part of the ``Save Kasadi River, Fight against river pollution,’’ said the MPCB should take strict action against, the apex pollution control body said it would wait for the results.