Forum questions pollution board's report on Periyar River findings

The Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi has raised concerns about a report from the Kerala High Court's expert committee. They question the absence of heavy metals in the findings, despite previous tests showing mercury, arsenic, and cadmium in sediment samples. The State Pollution Control Board collected sediment samples from the Periyar River, but the final report, dated October 28, 2024, did not include key findings from private lab tests. These tests indicated significant levels of toxic metals near industrial areas. The forum also disputes the committee's conclusion that increased organic load caused a recent fish kill. The Chief Environmental Engineer of the Board was unavailable for comment.