Eloor and the Periyar: A Pollution Timeline

Ashraf Gents Hostel

Key facts

The News Minute dates the first major Periyar fish kill near Eloor to 1971, a few years after the factories expanded.
Greenpeace first studied Eloor in 1999 and, after follow-up studies, described the area as a global toxic hotspot; it released a health assessment of residents in 2003.
A fire broke out at Hindustan Insecticides’ endosulfan plant at Eloor on 6 July 2004, after which a Supreme Court-directed Local Area Environmental Committee was set up.
On 20 May 2024 three shutters of the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge were opened, and a large fish kill followed downstream, according to a KUFOS report cited by Mongabay India.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board said it found no trace of industrial effluent in its May 2024 samples and blamed a sudden drop in dissolved oxygen; Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) reported toxic hydrogen sulphide and ammonia.

The Aluva Manappuram Siva temple with its tiled roof on the sandy riverbank. Photo: Vis M / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Why Eloor became the focus

Eloor is a river island of a little over 11 sq km between two branches of the Periyar, just across the Pathalam bridge from Kalamassery. From the 1940s it filled with heavy industry: FACT’s fertiliser plants, Travancore-Cochin Chemicals, Indian Rare Earths, Hindustan Insecticides and many smaller chemical units. The News Minute, in a 2020 feature, counted around 300 factories on the island by 2005 and 79 ‘red category’ (most polluting) units by about 2009. The same river supplies drinking water to much of Kochi further downstream, which is why every incident becomes a public question.

For the industrial side of the story, read our history of Udyogamandal and the FACT revival story. For the island itself, see the Eloor island history and the practical Eloor guide.

The timeline

Date	What happened	Source
1971	First major fish kill recorded in the Periyar near Eloor	The News Minute (2020)
April 1990	The Kuzhikandam canal catches fire from toluene; a Pollution Control Board inquiry finds Hindustan Insecticides’ discharge was not properly treated	The News Minute (2020)
1999	Greenpeace first studies Eloor and flags it as a toxic hotspot	The News Minute; Greenpeace
2002	Greenpeace follow-up reports elevated pollutant levels	The News Minute
2003	Greenpeace and doctors release a health assessment of Eloor residents	Greenpeace press release, 23 October 2003
6 July 2004	Fire at Hindustan Insecticides’ endosulfan plant	The News Minute; Greenpeace
August 2004	Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes visits Eloor; a Local Area Environmental Committee (LAEC) is set up on its direction	India Together
March 2006	LAEC environmental assessment reports heavy metals and DDT in soil, water and wetlands	India Together
January 2020	Major fish kill in the Muttar, a Periyar branch	The News Minute (28 January 2020)
20–21 May 2024	Pathalam regulator shutters opened; mass fish kill downstream	Mongabay India; Onmanorama
11 June 2024	Chief Minister tells the Assembly preliminary reports show no dereliction by Pollution Control Board officials	The South First
28 October 2024	Final report of a committee set up by the Kerala High Court	KSPCB filing, 19 November 2024

From local protest to global hotspot (1970s–2006)

Local resistance came first. Residents and activists, including members of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad from the 1970s, documented coloured water and dead fish long before outside groups arrived. In April 1990 toluene discharged into the Kuzhikandam canal caught fire; a Pollution Control Board inquiry, according to The News Minute, found the effluent from Hindustan Insecticides had not been properly treated.

Greenpeace first studied the area in 1999 and returned in 2002, reporting higher pollutant levels. In 2003 it released a health assessment, prepared with doctors, that reported higher rates of several illnesses among residents. Greenpeace attributed these to industrial effluent released into the river. News reports from that period often repeat a ranking of Eloor among the world’s most toxic places, but we could not trace that exact ranking to a Greenpeace document, so we do not repeat it.

On 6 July 2004 a fire at Hindustan Insecticides’ endosulfan plant released fumes over nearby homes. The Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes visited the next month, and on its direction a Local Area Environmental Committee was formed. Its March 2006 assessment, summarised by India Together, reported zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium and DDT in soil, water and wetlands around Eloor. The News Minute reports that the committee was wound up about a year after it began. The company’s own history is in our Hindustan Insecticides page.

Monitoring, fish kills and the May 2024 event

After 2006, residents and fishers kept reporting red or black discharges and fish kills, and the dispute moved between the Pollution Control Board, the Kerala High Court and the National Green Tribunal. The Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge, which holds back the river above Eloor, became central to the argument, because stagnant water upstream gathers waste.

On 20 May 2024, after heavy rain and rising water from the Bhoothathankettu barrage, the irrigation department opened three shutters at Pathalam. Fish began dying downstream, including in cage farms. KUFOS reported high hydrogen sulphide and ammonia and low dissolved oxygen, and later found heavy metals in water, sediment and fish, according to Mongabay India. The Pollution Control Board said it found no trace of industrial effluent and put the event down to low-oxygen, organically loaded water rushing downstream. The state announced about ₹13.55 crore in compensation and told the irrigation department to draw up a protocol for operating the shutters. We cover the event in detail in the May 2024 Periyar fish kill.

A Kerala High Court-appointed committee filed an interim report on 3 July 2024 and a final report on 28 October 2024; the Pollution Control Board summarised it before the National Green Tribunal in November 2024, noting significant faecal contamination from domestic sources as well. As of October 2026 the tribunal and court proceedings had not produced a single agreed account of the causes.

What this means for residents nearby

Much of Kochi’s piped water comes from the Periyar, which is why residents follow these reports closely; our drinking water guide covers the practical side for Kalamassery. Flood years such as 2018 showed how closely the town and the river are tied.

For a newcomer at Ashraf Gents Hostel, the men’s hostel at the NAD Road signal, this history is simply useful background: the plants you pass on the Eloor road have a long public record. Ask on the call about water supply at the hostel (water is included in the rent, electricity separate). More pages are in the Kalamassery history archive.

Frequently asked questions

When did pollution in Eloor first become a public issue?

The News Minute dates the first major Periyar fish kill near Eloor to 1971, and local protests grew through the 1970s and 1980s.

What did Greenpeace say about Eloor?

Greenpeace studied Eloor from 1999, reported elevated pollutant levels in 2002 and released a health assessment of residents in 2003, describing the area as a toxic hotspot.

What caused the May 2024 fish kill?

Sources differ. KUFOS reported hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and heavy metals after the Pathalam shutters were opened on 20 May 2024; the Pollution Control Board said it found no industrial effluent and blamed low dissolved oxygen.

Did the Supreme Court get involved?

Its Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes visited Eloor in August 2004 and directed the formation of a Local Area Environmental Committee, which reported in March 2006.

Is the issue settled?

No. As of October 2026 related matters were still before the Kerala High Court and the National Green Tribunal.

Sources

Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed 8 October 2026. How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.

Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Eloor and the Periyar: A Pollution Timeline.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/eloor-pollution-timeline/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.