Guwahati: A formalin leak from a tanker that met with an accident near Jatinga Bridge in Assam’s Dima Hasao district on Thursday contaminated the Jatinga River, prompting the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to issue a public safety advisory.
According to the district administration, the tanker (registration number NL01A 3886), carrying formalin from Namrup to Tripura, met with the accident near Jatinga Bridge on National Highway-27 along the Haflong-Silchar route at around 4 p.m.
The accident resulted in formalin leaking from two chambers of the tanker into a nearby stream, which subsequently flowed into the Jatinga River.
As a precautionary measure, the district administration has advised residents living along the Jatinga River stretch from Jatinga Bridge to Harangajao not to use the river water for drinking, cooking, domestic purposes or for feeding cattle and other animals for the next two days.
The DDMA said exposure to formalin-contaminated water could pose risks to human health and may also adversely affect livestock, aquatic life and the surrounding environment.
The authority has urged residents to strictly follow the advisory until further notice while officials monitor the situation and undertake measures to mitigate the impact of the chemical spill.