The worst sight is at the congested slum area of Kalibari on the northern fringe of the town of Silchar with a population of 8000 people where refuse from open toilets without any drainage or flush out avenues is disposed directly in the river waters. This direct flow to the river and dissolution in it causes direct pollution which carries toxic materials and bacterial substances. 3 tons of sewerage waste makes its way down the river every month. Just a few meters downstream is the intake point where the Public Health Engineering Department pumps in water for its reservoir and treatment plant for supply to civilians.

Dr. Subijoy Dhar was aghast to learn that 50 tons of waste and pollutants gets discharged in Barak everyday as 8,000 kilo litres of municipal garbage is dumped. “This gives an idea of the contamination level of Barak and also raises the question as to how safe it is to drink,” he said. The pesticides and insecticides used in agricultural fields which are carried to the river also pollute it. Fishermen who use chemicals in fish farming or rearing also contribute to the contamination.

Expired medicines and drugs, medical as well as chemical waste from private nursing homes, pathological laboratories, chemists and druggists are also openly dumped into the river waters. Dr. Dhar said that the contamination which is becoming alarming due to burgeoning population along the river system is the cause of several critical diseases including cancer. The volume of oxygen is drastically reduced and Phosphate contents are on the rise.

At Panchgram, he found the river to be most polluted due to discharge of effluents from the paper mill where the dissolved oxygen is 2.27 which, according to him, not only makes consumption of the water hazardous for human health but is also a threat to fish and other aquatic species. White foam formed by the chemical waste of the mill can be seen for 100 metres down stream. Dr. Dhar carried out the survey-study in coordination with valley based Exploration Club and its members who included Dr. Kumar Kanti Das, President, and Sakha Ranjan Roy, General Secretary. He used handheld oxygen conductivity and temperature measuring system – YSI model 85 to get the results at Panchgram in particular.

The only way to fight this pollution, the NRI scientist pointed out, is to hold awareness camps at critical points for common people and alerting the district and civic authorities for tougher measures on garbage and waste disposal. On ‘World Water Day’ on March 26, Dr. Dhar proposes to hold awareness camps at 5 sites and has sought the cooperation of all to begin a ‘Clean Barak Operation’.