Fisheries Loss in Orathapalayam Reservoir

Immediately after the completion of the reservoir, the Fisheries Department started fisheries activities at Orathapalayam reservoir in 1993. The fingerlings stock at Orthapalayam reservoir was 385,000 in 1993. But the stock was increased to 700,000 during 1993-94 and 801,000 in 1996-97. But in subsequent years no stocking took place in the reservoir. Towards the end of 1997, mass fish mortality occurred at Orathapalayam reservoir. In early December, dead fish were floating near the dam site, which caused serious health hazards. Subsequently the District Collector made arrangements to bury the dead fish, which came to several tonnes. The Government also ordered the Fisheries Department to make immediate arrangements for removing all the fish in the reservoir to avoid further fish mortality and health hazards. The PWD also requested the Fisheries Department to stop the fisheries activities in Orathapalayam. Subsequently the Director of Fisheries ordered the Regional Fisheries Office at Erode to stop the fisheries at Orathapalayam on 12/3/1998. (Directorate of Fisheries, 2000c).

After realizing the pollution implication on Orthapalayam reservoir the Commissioner of Fisheries conducted a detailed study. The study was conducted by the Hydrology Research Station, Department of Fisheries, Chennai (1996). The salient findings were: (a) River is unfit for aquatic organisms. (b) Fish landing was observed downstream of Tiruppur and Orthapalayam reservoir – Tilapia is the main variety, but size is small. (c) Plankton pollution was observed in huge quantity in reservoir. (d) Bio-assay test conducted revealed that the fishes are bleached. (e) Fish growth rate will be affected. (f) Survival of Tilapia may not be a problem, but present condition is unsuitable for the growth of other carps. (g) Fish caught from the reservoir get spoiled in a short period of two hours. Hence fish cannot be marketed to distant places. (h) High possibility of frequent fish mortality in future. The fisheries activities at Orathapalayam reservoir (which was started by State Fisheries Department with great expectation in 1993) was

completely stopped and continuation is also highly doubtful.

Possible Toxicity in Fishes: At present even though the river, tanks and reservoir are completely affected by textile pollution, some informal fishing is still taking place in the water bodies and the fish caught is sold in the local and neighbouring markets. Generally the inland fishing is extremely important in this area since the possibility of getting sea

fish (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are quite far) is low. Even the fish that survive in the Orthapalayam reservoir may be of doubtful quality. According to Azeez, (2001) ”Many dyes commonly used are known to have serious health implications. Azo dyes, which were used widely are banned recently due to harmful properties including carcinogenesis. It is found that many species of fish survive in the Orthapalayam reservoir where all the chemical wastes from Tiruppur get collected. It is quite possible that the fishes accumulate these chemicals and are transferred to human beings while consuming fishes.”