RED TIDE

Overview:

Recently, a three-member committee appointed by the principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) inspected the Kuruchikuppam drain and beach to analyse the cause behind the recent phenomenon of red tide in Puducherry.

About Red Tide

• It is a common term used for a harmful algal bloom.
• Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—plant-like organisms that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control.
• The name “red tide” comes from the fact that overgrowth of algae can cause the colour of the water to turn red.
• Why does it occur?
  • Chemicals from farming, factories, sewage treatment plants and other sources can become dissolved in water on the land.
  • This water, called runoff, eventually flows into the ocean and can cause algae to grow faster, leading to red tides.

• Impacts
  • Some of the algae that cause a red tide produce powerful toxins, which are harmful chemicals that can kill fish, shellfish, mammals and birds.
  • If people eat fish or shellfish that have been in the water with toxic algae, they will also ingest the toxins, which can make them sick.