By Nanditha Subhadra
Kochi, the vibrant queen of the Arabian Sea and the commercial heartbeat of Kerala, has long been synonymous with bustling ports, spice trades, and economic promise. Alongside its twin district Ernakulam, it drives the state’s growth, hosting major industries like the Cochin Refinery, Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). Yet, beneath this facade of prosperity lies a grim reality: Kochi and Ernakulam have morphed into Kerala’s unintended “pollution capital.” Industrial effluents choke the Periyar River—the lifeline supplying drinking water to millions—while airborne toxins blanket the air, fueling a surge in pollution-linked illnesses. Scientific reports and health surveys paint a dire picture of a city edging toward uninhabitability, especially for the elderly and children, whose fragile health bears the brunt of this man-made scourge.
The Periyar River:A Lifeline Turned Poisoned Vein
The Periyar River, originating from the Western Ghats and snaking through Ernakulam district, is more than a waterway—it’s the primary source of potable water for Kochi’s sprawling urban expanse and its suburbs. But decades of unchecked industrialization have transformed it into a toxic artery. The Eloor-Edayar industrial belt, a cluster of over 247 chemical and manufacturing units, dumps untreated effluents laden with heavy metals, ammonia, phosphates, and organic waste directly into the river. A 2021 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed alarmingly high levels of these pollutants in the river’s stretch through this zone, with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)—a key indicator of organic pollution—frequently exceeding 8 mg/L near Eloor, far above the safe limit of 3 mg/L for drinking water sources.
Recent incidents underscore the crisis’s acuity. In May 2024, a massive fish kill along the Eloor-Edayar stretch triggered an urgent probe into industrial violations, highlighting how effluents from units like the Cochin Refinery and FACT—major producers of petrochemicals and fertilizers—continue to evade strict enforcement by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). KSPCB’s monitoring data from April 2025 shows critically high pollution levels at all major stations across Ernakulam, with heavy metals like mercury and lead persisting in sediments and groundwater. A spatio-temporal study spanning 2003–2023 linked these discharges to broader land-use changes, estimating that industrialization has degraded groundwater quality across 7.4% of the study area, exposing over 590,000 people to health risks from contaminated sources.
The fallout extends to aquatic life and fisheries, vital for local livelihoods. Dried fish from Kerala’s coast, including Periyar-fed regions, show elevated lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) levels—Pb up to levels warranting concern—attributed to anthropogenic pollution from ports and industries. Seasonal variations exacerbate the issue; monsoon dilutions offer temporary relief, but dry-season concentrations of heavy metals in fish tissues spike, as documented in a 2017 IOSR Journal study.
Air Pollution: A Smoggy Stranglehold on Urban Life
If the Periyar is Kochi’s poisoned underbelly, the air above is its suffocating shroud. Rapid urbanization, construction dust, vehicular emissions, and industrial stacks have driven air quality into the red zone. As of December 2025, Kochi’s real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) hovers at 157—classified as “Unhealthy”—with PM2.5 levels reaching 90 µg/m³, well above the World Health Organization’s annual guideline of 5 µg/m³. AccuWeather forecasts for the week predict sustained “Unhealthy” levels (AQI 103–105), urging sensitive groups to limit outdoor exposure.
Ernakulam district, with the state’s most monitoring stations, reports a steady climb in PM2.5 concentrations, mirroring trends from 2022 data where levels remained elevated or worsened year-over-year. Visible smog now blankets early mornings and evenings, drawing eerie parallels to Delhi’s winter haze, as noted by environmentalists like Dr. C.M. Joy of the Kerala Nature Protection Council. Deforestation for projects like the Kochi Metro—without adequate replanting—has trapped pollutants in stagnant air, amplified by low winds and high humidity.
A COVID-19 lockdown study in the Eloor belt revealed how industrial halts briefly improved river water quality, but post-lockdown rebounds underscored the sector’s dominance in air toxics too. KSPCB’s integrated reports highlight nutrient pollution from agriculture and industry as primary culprits, with surface water quality declining across Kerala’s urban rivers like the Periyar.
The Human Toll: A Surge in Pollution-Linked Ailments
The environmental decay is etching itself into public health, with pulmonary and respiratory diseases skyrocketing. A 2019 study in Kochi found chronic respiratory morbidity afflicting one in every ten bus drivers and conductors—high-exposure workers—linked directly to ambient particulates. Surveys reveal that 34% of residents perceive air pollution as having a “moderate” impact on asthma, while 26% report “significant” effects, with bronchial asthma prevalence among children and adolescents driving frequent hospitalizations and school absenteeism.
Non-smokers, particularly women, are seeing an alarming uptick in pulmonary issues, as flagged in a 2014 Hindu report, with exposure to high PM levels triggering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergies. A 2025 perception study across Ernakulam’s industrial zones found that nearly one-fourth of daily patients at government clinics present with respiratory, dermatological, or cardiac ailments attributed to pollution—symptoms like wheezing, skin rashes, and heart strain disproportionately hitting the vulnerable. Older adults and children, with developing or waning lung capacities, face the harshest blows; a 2019 urban prevalence survey tied symptoms like cough and breathlessness to age, smoking history, and family predispositions, but emphasized pollution as the accelerant.
Globally, air pollution claims 7 million lives annually from cardiopulmonary causes, and Kerala’s urban burden mirrors this, with models projecting a 10% PM2.5 hike could amplify disease loads in cities like Kochi by exacerbating asthma and COPD. The National Centre for Disease Control’s Kerala adaptation plan calls for routine screenings for pollution-related ills, underscoring the urgency.
| Pollutant/Source | Key Metric | Health Impact | Source |
| Periyar River Effluents (Heavy Metals, BOD) | BOD >8 mg/L; Pb/Cr elevated in fish | Gastrointestinal disorders, bioaccumulation leading to cancer risks | CSE 2021 Report; IOSR 2017 |
| Air PM2.5 | 90 µg/m³ (Dec 2025) | COPD, asthma exacerbations; 1/4 clinic visits respiratory/cardiac | IQAir/AccuWeather; 2025 Perception Survey |
| Groundwater Contamination | 7.4% area poor WQI; 590,000 at risk | Renal/kidney issues, long-term toxicity | 2003–2023 LULC Study |
| Respiratory Morbidity | 10% in high-exposure workers; rising in non-smokers | Hospitalizations up; child absenteeism | 2019 Bus Driver Study; 2014 Hindu Report |
A City on the Brink: Uninhabitable for the Most Vulnerable
For elders navigating Kochi’s humid haze with oxygen masks and children sidelined by endless coughs, the city feels less like home and more like a hazard zone. Smog-choked playgrounds and riverbanks strewn with dead fish symbolize a betrayal of Kerala’s “God’s Own Country” ethos. The Eloor belt’s “black death” fish kills and Ambalamugal’s toxic flares have locals fleeing for cleaner air, yet economic ties bind them to the polluters.
KSPCB’s February 2021 report on Greater Kochi’s industrial clusters admits enforcement gaps, despite mandates for zero-liquid discharge. Without aggressive interventions—stricter effluent treatments, green buffers, and public health campaigns—Kochi risks a full exodus of its most at-risk residents.
Kochi’s plight is a clarion call: Prosperity cannot come at the cost of breathable air and drinkable water. As the Periyar weeps toxins and the skies weep smog, it’s time for Kerala to reclaim its lifeline—before the commercial capital becomes a cautionary tale of environmental collapse.
. * The Author is a permanent resident of Ernakulum for over five decades
