Dead fish in the waterbody. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Feb. 28: Locked up in bureaucratic red tape and intra-group wrangling, traditional inland fishermen have been badly hit by acidic effluent discharge and oil slick.

Cracks in the underground Paradip-Haldia pipeline, besides the acidic discharge by a fertilizer plant last month had seriously affected aquatic life, especially fish. While the plant operators are ready with funds to compensate the affected fishermen, authorities are yet to come up with the list of deserving beneficiaries.

The accidental oil slick perpetrated by the Indian Oil Corporation pipeline and acidic discharge by PPL fertilizer plant on January 7 and 25 respectively had triggered havoc among the fishermen community.

Separate probes both by the administration and pollution control agencies had found out that the effluents had a deadly effect on aquatic animals. The livelihood stakes of fishermen were jeopardised following the effluents’ release. The erring units, under the directions of the district administration, had agreed to compensate the loss caused to the fishermen community, according to official sources.

On the other hand, the compensation payment has failed to kick off as enumeration process of affected fishermen is getting inordinately delayed.

“We are ready with the funds. But the list of beneficiaries is yet to be submitted,” said Ranjan Basu, vice-president (operation), Paradip Phosphates Limited. IOCL authorities also spoke on the same line.

“The identification of the genuinely affected fishermen has become a cumbersome process. This is mainly due to the fact that the fishermen’s associations, who have taken up the plight are locked in a tug-of-war. Efforts are on from the bodies to include beneficiaries who do not deserve compensation. Applications for compensation are rising steadily almost on a daily basis,” said Pabitra Kumar Behera, the district fisheries officer, Jagatsinghpur.

There exists a huge gap between the list prepared by the fisheries department and the one submitted by the fishermen’s bodies. We are waiting for the list that is being prepared by the local tehsildar. Besides, the legality aspect of fish ponds that suffered loss is being investigated, he added.

The acidic effluent discharge by a fertilizer plant had entirely wiped out the aquatic life including endangered fish in a more than 2km stretch near Paradip port town, according to a probe by the state fisheries department.

There is almost total annihilation of fish species including spawns and fish seeds. The fatal impact of toxic sulphuric acid has devastated the aquatic lives. Acidic effluents also permeated deep into underwater soil, the report had stated.

“We have submitted the probe findings with the state fisheries directorate and the chairman of the district wing coastal aquaculture authority. For all practical purpose, there would be no fishing for at least one year in the severely pollution-hit water-body,” said Pabitra Kumar Behera, district fisheries officer, Jagatsinghpur.