Clean-up of Rayarom river completed

KANNUR: The clean-up of Rayarom River at Alakkode by Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to

remove the large quantities of discarded pesticides dumped into it was completed on Tuesday. The scientist from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who tested the quality of water reported that there was no toxicity in the river water.

The last phase of the search for the remaining pesticide bottles and packets was completed on Tuesday afternoon. The potency of the pesticides materials removed from the river has been defused.

District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan told reporters here on Tuesday that A.K. Gupta, scientist at the Gwalior-based nuclear, biological

and chemical emergency wing of the DRDO who had collected water samples from different spots in the river and examined them, had

reported that there was no toxicity in the river water. On the basis of the report, instructions have been given to resume pumping of water from the river for drinking water supply, the Collector said.

The Navy and NDRF personnel had searched for pesticides in the river along a 15-km stretch downstream, he said.