Toxic water kills thousand of fish in Kshipra

Indore: Shoal of fish dying in Kshipra once again highlighted the high pollution levels in water that is attributed majorly to mixing of Kahn river water, which carries chemical and factory wastes of Indore. Besides, the project has also become an imminent threat to farmers and local residents, who live in constant fear of caving in in areas where pipelines have been laid.
The much ambitious Kahn river project to divert flow of dirty water from mixing into Kshipra ahead of Simhastha has failed to prove its effectiveness as after the event, polluted water has again started mixing into the river.Instances of road caving in have been reported at various places in the farm land.
Early this week in a meeting with the Ujjain administration, the district collector has instructed water resources department to put warning boards and flags in the Kahn diversion areas to avoid any casualties.
The government has sanctioned a whooping Rs 90 crore to divert the Kahn river for laying concrete pipes of 2.6 diameter over a stretch of 19 km between Piplyaraghow and Kaliadeh Mahal.
The project was scheduled to get completed in February this year but still a stretch of 1.8 km is pending. During Simhastha dirty Kahn water was diverted into the incomplete diversion to keep the Kshipra water clean.
A K Gupta, in-charge executive engineer, water resources department said, “The work of laying pipeline is under process in the Lalpul and Kalideh Mahal area. We have to cover a stretch of 1.8 km.”
Toxic water from the Kahn river and sewerage from nearby areas drastically reduced the level of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in the river water leading to death of thousands of fish in the past two days.
According to sources, the Kabir Khedi sewage treatment plant is shut for a fortnight due to maintenance and is not running at full capacity resulting in the flow of untreated dirty water into Kshipra.
According to an official from the pollution board, “During Simhastha, Kahn river water was being diverted near Kaliadeh Mahal but after Simhastha the diversion was stopped and a lot of water from Kahn river and monsoon rains containing toxic substances mixed into Kshipra river.”
However, this was not the first time that large number of fish have died due to polluted water. Several cases have been reported in the past as well mostly after toxic water from surrounding areas gushed into river following rains.