The decomposed body of a buffalo was dug out and the bodies of 13 more were in the process of being dug out by a team of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) with help from a local NGO. The bodies were buried at the directions of KRIBHCO management in the company premises once they died after consuming polluted water discharged by the company at Hazira. The incident had taken place two days ago and we came to know after the bodies of buffaloes came afloat near our jetty. We contacted the nearby village sarpanch to find out the owner but nobody came forward. So we decided to bury and we buried them, KRIBHCO Chief Manager (HR) N K Shahoo said. The incident came to light when an NGO,Brackish Water Research Centre,working on coastal environment related problems,visited the company premises on Thursday evening and enquired about the death of buffaloes. The company authorities had,however,denied any knowledge of the incident. The NGO,accompanied by the GPCB officials from Surat,then approached Harshad Patel,sarpanch of Kawas village,who too denied having any information about the incident. Later,while carrying out a search operation at the KRIBHCO premises,the NGO members and GPCB officials found the head of a buffalo near KRIBHCO Jetty,with dogs hovering around. The decomposed body of the animal was later dug out. NGO member S H Shaikh said,The buffaloes used to graze on the barren land near KRIBHCO jetty and had consumed contaminated water. Thirteen more buffaloes have died and their bodies are being dug out. Veterinary doctors and Forensic Science Laboratory officials visited the site on Friday morning and collected samples of water and grass from the premises. The doctors will carry out postmortem on the dead buffaloes. The GPCB officials have lodged a complaint at Ichhapore police station.
