Yogesh Pawar: Mumbai’s fish are world’s most poisonous

Concerned with tar balls washing ashore after the sunken MV Rak Carrier began puking oil, I’ve decided to stay away from seafood. But has the fish we consume been safe otherwise? I’m afraid not.

In 2005, when dead fish shoals washed ashore Mumbai’s beaches, I’d collected samples of sea water from the Gateway of India, Mahim, Juhu and Versova for a news story. When these were tested at a government-accredited lab in Thane, the results were shocking.

The water was laced with heavy metals much higher than what’s accepted anywhere around the world.

I realised I’d been eating poisoned fish!

Mahim beach, where the Mitthi River empties herself in the Arabian Sea, was the most polluted with mercury levels there 310 times higher than international standards and Cadmium levels 55 times higher!

At the Gateway of India, mercury levels were 263 times more than international standards while Cadmium levels were 66 times more. At Juhu mercury levels were 33 times and Cadmium levels, 47 times more. At Versova, mercury levels were a huge 235 times more while Cadmium levels were 45 times more than what is acceptable.

When confronted, then Maharashta Pollution Control Board chairperson Dr B R Boralkar resorted to typical officialese to pooh-pooh our findings! While I kept wondering what was with the loud OTT in the office, Boralkar was keen on finding who had done the tests.

The story aired and got great feedback. But that’s just the preface, the tale (which was shot down as “unexciting”) is yet to come. A year later, I wanted fish samples tested and called the same lab. When I asked for the owner I was told he’d passed away after a massive heart attack, by his angry son. “You are responsible for his death,” he shouted and hung up.

I called and pleaded with him to explain. What he told me was a horror story. Soon after our report, the lab had to get its government accreditation renewed. And the vengeful authorities hit back by ensuring that they were refused the same on one ground or the other.

This meant that all their big clients moved to other labs. The mounting losses were far too much for the anxious owner who’s health began failing, leading to the heart attack, his son said.

On taking over the reins after his father’s passing away he somehow managed to “wrangle” the accreditation, but has decided to stay away from anything to do with the media. The sight of visuals or photographs of pollution along the coast sends a chill down my spine since!