The says checks are underway according to Siberian Times, which adds that a spokesperson said: “As of today, the Polar Division of Norilsk Nickel does not confirm a leak of emergency discharge of industrial waste into the Daldykan River which could have affected its state”.
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Shocking images posted on social media show a river in Russian Federation that mysteriously turned a vibrant red color, ABC reports.
Production is also being reduced at the Krasnoyarsk region plant which processes nickel concentrate, reported The Siberian Times.
According to ABC News, Norilsk is “one of the most polluted cities on Earth” thanks to factories that largely belong to metals company Norilsk Nikel.
The Daldykan River in the far north of Siberia changed colour rapidly after a suspected discharge of industrial waste from a nickel plant.
Other residents believe that the river’s color transformation has something to do with runoff from a nearby smelling plant, while some have speculated that wastewater mixed with mineral ore went into the river from the Hope Metals Plant. The ministry said it is still working to locate the pollution’s source.
Evgeny Belikov, who worked at the Hope plant, wrote on social media, “In winter, the snow’s also red”.
Grigory Dukarev of the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the Taimir Peninsula, which represents native communities in the area, told ABC News that he was preparing to submit a formal complaint to regional authorities asking them to investigate and was traveling to the river to record the pollution.
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Commenters on Typical Norilsk on Russian social networking site VK said that the “river of blood” is a sign from “The Lod God of the imminent war”. “Will they drink this water?”
