Shoals of dead fish wash ashore at Beruwala Beach
Richmond Wijesekera, Bentota group correspondent
BENTOTA: A shoal of fish which died under mysterious circumstances
was washed ashore at Beruwala beach last week.
A manager of a Tourist Hotel in Beruwala told the Daily News that
thousands of dead fish were washed ashore at night. Several tourists who
pricked their feet with the bones of decomposed fish are being treated
at private hospitals.
"Waste matter from a distillery in Beruwala that flows into the sea
may have caused the deaths. We have made representations regarding
marine pollution caused by the flow of waste water from the distillery
but to no avail," the manager said.
PHI (Administrative) Beruwala, Chandrasiri Pinidiya said the reason
is still to be established.
"Shoals of fish in the river and the sea died probably due to
contamination of water with poisonous matter. We obtained samples of the
dead fish and water in the river for further tests," he said.
Beruwala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Piyal Nishantha said he was of the
opinion that the sea belt and the rivers are polluted with waste water
from the tourist hotels and the distillery.
"Representations made in this regard to the authorities have fallen
on deaf ears.
The permit issued by the Central Environmental Authority prevents the
Pradeshiya Sabha from taking action against those responsible for the on
going environmental damage that affects aquatic life." he said.
The Central Environment Authority should look into the garbage and
waste water disposal system of tourist hotels and other industries
before issuing the clearance certificate. However the authority neglects
this requirement, Nishantha said.
A spokesman for the Beruwala Distillery however dismissed the charge
as a false allegation. "It is false that we dispose waste water into the
river. We have adopted a waste water disposal system approved by the
Institute of Technology. Waste water which is purified before disposing
would not cause the death of fish".
|