Fish die, PPCB takes samples from rivulet

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, April 30

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) team took samples from Surry, a tributary of the Beas, to ascertain the cause behind the death of a large number of fish in the water bodies.

The Fisheries Department has said that the fish died due to reduced level of oxygen in the water. Vishesh Kumar, Assistant Director, Fisheries, submitted a complaint in this regard to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Batala, seeking action against AB Grains and Spirits, Kiri Afgana. He alleged that the factory discharged waste into the Surry.

The PPCB team, led by Superintending Engineer Kulwant Singh, inspected the site, the sugar mill and the distillery. The team also took water samples from the Surry. The team also inspected the water treatment plant and found it to be functional. The PPCB officials said investigations were on.

The Fisheries Department complained to the police after getting a tip-off from former Wildlife Warden Sukhdeep Bajwa. The team of the department had found that AB Sugar Mill and Distillery discharged effluents into the Surry at night, resulting in the death of fish.