The urban local body here has dismantled dry fish units on the outskirts of the port township to curb pollution in the area. The unauthorised units that had been operating illegally on encroached government land without permits at Sukhuakhola were pulled down. The units used to produce dry fish without adhering to the prescribed procedures, and therefore, perpetrating air pollution, said Paradip Municipality executive officer Dillip Kumar Mohanty. “A section of fishermen are engaged in drying fish on the canal banks at Sukhuakhola near populated localities in a dirty environment. That’s why we evicted squatters.” The marine fisheries wing has undertaken a drive to conduct a test of the dry fish produce to ascertain whether the manufacturers are using chemical substances to preserve the fish. The state marine fisheries department has decided to remove the unauthorised units. The units have been issued orders to meet standard hygiene specifications. If they fail to meet them, they would be shut down, said Paradip fishing harbour manager Bharat Bhusan Sahoo. “Earlier, we had found the dry fish makers using toxic preservatives. After health experts had found that the chemical-processed dry fish could adversely affect human health, the department renewed its drive to take penal steps,” Sahoo said. “Notices have been served to the producers and traders of dry fish, fishermen’s co-operative bodies and the fish trawler operators, asking them to stop using chemicals. Such practice is an offence under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982.” The region accounts for around 4,000 tonnes of dry fish yield every year. The produce has a big market in places such as Rourkela, Talcher, Sambalpur, Bargarh and other areas. “With financial support from the district industries centre, a dry fish units cluster has already been set up in Paradip. Around 400 such units have come up under cluster development programme. Our objective is to modernise the units with emphasis on the units’ sanitation standards,” said the official.