No toxic chemicals detected in Iril River
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 29 2025: Laboratory tests have detected no harmful chemicals in the Iril River water, the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change has said days after it collected water samples and conducted several tests.

The laboratory tests were conducted after the Iril River gave out foul smells and fishes were found floating in the aftermath of a recent flood.

The Directorate of Environment and Climate Change had collected water samples from various sections of the river and run several tests.

While the laboratory tests have not detected harmful chemicals, they revealed high fecal contamination, said a source in the Directorate.

To detect possible chemical contamination, water samples were incubated for five days and tests were run in the laboratory, said the source.

The laboratory tests didn't find harmful chemicals but detected high presence of fecal materials, added the source.

The fecal materials may have been carried into the river during the flood, said the source.

On the other hand, the foul smell of the river water is due to decomposition of organic matter, said the source.

During the recent flood, vast tracts of paddy fields and vegetation were inundated by water for days, causing the paddy crops and vegetation to decompose.

These decomposed organic matters along with the contaminated water were then carried into the water, contaminating the river water, explained the source.

As a result, the laboratory tests have found that there is a high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and a very low dissolved oxygen level in the river water, added the source.

The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen in a water sample that aerobic microorganisms need to decompose organic matter.

A higher BOD value indicates more organic pollution, which depletes dissolved oxygen, stressing aquatic life and potentially causing suffocation and death.

The depletion of dissolved oxygen also explains floating and deaths of fishes in the river, said the source.

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