Kosasthalaiyar fish death: CPI urges State probe

CHENNAI: CPI state secretary M Veerapandian on Monday urged the State government to treat the mass death of fish in the Kosasthalaiyar river as an artificial disaster and take action against those responsible.

In a statement, Veerapandian noted that several industries, including the Kattupalli port operated by the Gautam Adani group and those in special economic zones, were functioning in north Chennai. Over 50 of these were hazardous industries classified under the red category, he said.

He questioned whether the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health was conducting periodic inspections of such units to assess preventive measures and emergency response arrangements and submitting reports to the government.

He cited the recent collapse of a concrete arch structure during expansion work at the Ennore thermal power station in Tiruvallur, in which nine migrant workers were killed. He also referred to the ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing unit at Kannigaiper village, in which 13 migrant workers were killed.

The mass death of fish in the Kosasthalaiyar river was another alarming incident, he said, adding that it had affected the livelihood of thousands of fishing families in more than 40 fishing villages, including Nettukuppam, Thalangkuppam, Mugathuvarkuppam, Ennorekuppam and Sivandikuppam.

Veerapandian said that while dead fish were being removed from the river, some species were believed to have sunk to the riverbed. The foul smell from the area indicated severe air pollution, he said. Authorities have already advised people not to consume the dead fish or use them for making dried fish.

He demanded that the findings of the ongoing inquiry into the cause of the death of tonnes of fish be made public. He also called for periodic industrial inspections and publication of inspection details every month.

The CPI state executive urged the government to arrest those responsible for the incident and ensure that they were punished under law without being allowed to escape accountability.