Kendrapara: Harvesting fish, prawns using pesticides in Rivers poses threat to biodiversity, community health, watch
Kendrapara: In Kendrapara district of Odisha, the practice by miscreants of harvesting fish and prawns by using pesticides in the River water has posed a significant threat to freshwater biodiversity and community health. Reportedly, the water of Kharasrota, Bramhani and Kani Rivers are getting contaminated by the illegal harvesting of fish and prawns by using pesticides. Besides, the local fishermen have lost their livelihood due to this. The administration, though has assured to take action to check the mafias, this illegal practice is yet to be stopped in Kendrapara district.
Pesticide exposure has long been known to cause problems for ecosystem and human health. Miscreants have eyed now the Kharasrota, Bramhani and Kani Rivers in Kendrapara district of Odisha to earn big money through illegal means. They are fishing and catching prawns by mixing pesticides to the water of these rivers late at night. Reportedly, by this they are earning huge money while the River water is getting poisoned day by day.
People who use river water are suffering from various skin diseases. Also, the fishermen who are dependent on the River are losing their livelihood.
The administration has assured that legal action will be taken against the miscreants who are releasing poison in the river water. Here is a ground zero report.
Due to the miscreants now the River water in Aul block of Kendrapara district has turned into poison. Even, the fish caught from the river is poisonous and it is sold in the market which people buy and consume. This issue has now made the life of the fishermen in this area miserable.
Fishermen venture to Kharasrota, Brahmani and Kani rivers for fishing in their boats. They support their families by selling whatever fish they catch. However, miscreants now have their eyes on the river on which the fishermen depend. They are putting poisonous pesticides in the river at night and then catching the fish in bulk.
Accordingly, local fishermen have lost their livelihood. The water of Brahmani, and Kharasrota River is now polluted and poisonous.
Reportedly, miscreants are putting pesticide in the River water at Ekamania, Nalpahi, Manpur, Gobindpur, Patrapur and Balakati villages. Accordingly, prawns are floating dead in the water due to the effect of poison. And the mafias are taking away huge amount of prawns every day to sell it at a cost of Rs 400 to 600 per kg in the market.
Due to the application of poisons, the river water is becoming contaminated. People who use the river water daily are suffering from various skin diseases. Freshwater shrimp species are threatened with extinction due to the use of poison by the shrimp mafia.
More than 600 fishermen of Aul Block live by catching fish from the river. Yet, they are now helpless as the River water is getting contaminated. Even the fishermen themselves are falling ill due to the contamination. As if the poisoned water has taken away the livelihood of fishermen.
On the other hand, Tahsildar of Aul said that action will be taken against the miscreants soon.
Can the villagers get rid of the poison? Who will give justice to the fishermen who are losing their livelihood? When the administration will actually take action? The answer to all these questions is now uncertain.
Report: Niranjan Behera, Aul, Kendrapara
Watch the video here:
Ms Kalinga