Images of dogs and birds that had turned blue as they roamed an industrial area of India prompted an investigation that has caught a company in the act of releasing untreated waste.
After activists first disseminated images of the azure animals and filed a complaint earlier this month, the state pollution control board got involved, with investigators now finding that Ducol Organics has been releasing blue dye into the air and the Kasadi river in Taloja, the Hindustan Times reports.
“After our sub-regional officers confirmed media reports that dogs were indeed turning blue due to air and water pollution, we conducted a detailed survey at the plant,” said Anil Mohekar, a regional officer with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
Startlingly, the officers found that none of the guidelines established by the country’s Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, and Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, were being adhered to by the private company, prompting the immediate shutdown of the facility.
“Ducol Organics Pvt Ltd. is harming animals and birds in the area. We cannot let such an industry function. We will ensure that the plant does not function from Monday and the decision sets an example for other polluting industries, which may not be following pollution abatement measures,” said Mohekar.
As for the welfare of the affected dogs themselves, there’s some room for optimism, as a blood test on one of the afflicted animals revealed it was healthy and the dye was water soluble.
