Several dogs have been seen with bright blue fur, apparently after they swam in polluted water.

Around five strays have been seen looking like they could be pets from the Smurfs, after swimming in a stretch of river in Navi Mumbai, India.

Animals regularly wade into the water to cool down and look for scraps of food, but they are coming out looking quite alarming.

It isn’t clear which exact chemicals could be responsible, but authorities said it could be industrial dye being pumped into the water, perhaps the kind used to make detergents.

Video shows a pack of the stray dogs, some tinged blue while others, which presumably haven’t been in the river yet, look normal.

Animal protection officer Arati Chauhan said: ‘It was shocking to see how the dog’s white fur had turned completely blue. We have spotted almost five such dogs here and have asked the pollution control board to act against such industries.’

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) ruled the waste treatment nearby was ‘inadequate’ with the river water lacking oxygen and having overly high levels of toxic chloride.

The water at the Kasadi waterway, in Maharashtra State in Western India was deemed unfit for human consumption with pollution levels 13 times the ‘safe limit’.

Yogesh Pagade, a local fisherman in the area said: ‘After numerous complaints to MPCB over the years, only the stench at Kasadi has reduced. However, the pollution levels continue to be extremely high and dissolved oxygen is negligible.’

A complaint has now been registered with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) saying that animals in the area are suffering as a result of the waste.

An MPCB spokesman said: ‘Allowing the discharge of dye into any water body is illegal. We will take action against the polluters as they are destroying the environment. We have directed our sub-regional officer to investigate.’

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by Jen Mills

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