Guwahati, Dec. 19: Thousands of dead fish have washed ashore in Brahamputra River in Assam since early this week. They were discovered on the river banks Guwahati.

An equal number of sick fish were found at the same place, the BBC quoted an official as saying. He blamed rising pollution level as the reason.

C. K.Bhuiyan, a senior District official in Guwahati, said an investigation has been ordered by the State Government.

Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB) had asked all oil refineries in the State, at the beginning of the year, to achieve "zero pollution" levels by December 31, failing which could lead to their closure.

The Guwahati refinery was found to be the worst polluting refinery and was perhaps the only one in Assam not to have yet complied, pollution control board officials said.

Jawaharlal Dutta, the Chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board Chairman, said that the marine life in the Brahmaputra River had been seriously affected by the pollution caused by these refineries, particularly, the Guwahati refinery.

He blamed the pollution spread by these refineries was several hundred times above the permissible limits. However, the district officials, monitoring the development, didn't rule out other possible causes.

C. K.Bhuyian stated that the dead fish could be a case of poisoning caused by water pollution or might be the result of some explosion inside the water for catching fish in large numbers from the river.

Other reasons leading to dead fish at such a scale could not ruled out presently, he added.

It isn't anything unusual to learn about killing of fish through explosives and chemical fertilisers or other poisonous substances during winter here. (ANI)