Norilsk Nickel has officially provided an explanation for the temporary discoloration of the Daldykan River in the Norilsk industrial district. The red color has been attributed to the river receiving a dose of iron salt-rich flushing water from the plant. The water is thought to have leaked through the dam as a result of abnormal rainfall.
The company has insisted that the water poses no danger to the people or the fauna living in the vicinity of the river and has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing pollution in the region in the future.
Last week, locals took to social media with pictures of Norilsk’s Daldykan River, which had suddenly turned red. Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology attributed this development to pollution and preliminary data suggested that there had been an accident at the Norilsk Nickel plant. The plant’s administration, however, denied these allegations at the time, reported news agency RIA Novosti then.
“To date, the polar division of the [Norilsk Nickel] company cannot confirm [any information on] leakage or accidental discharge of industrial waste into the Daldykan River,” announced the company in a press release released last week.