NMC still grappling with Eichhornia menace

 

 

DESPITE taking steps to contain further growth of Eichhornia weed in the city’s iconic Ambazari Lake, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is still grappling with the menace. So far, NMC has removed a few thousands of metric tonnes of Eichhornia from the lake, but the weed continues to spread, indicating that the civic body is still groping in dark for a permanent solution to the problem. NMC has deployed excavators and boats and manpower but the removal of Eichhornia weed from Ambazari Lake is not proving to be an economical activity. It started removing weeds from the water body during monsoon season last year.

 

As per the data provided by the civic body, from June 16 to September 6 this year, total 9,348 MT weed was removed and dumped in Bhandewadi. The weed has been spreading like a virus in the lake for the last two years, polluting the prime water body and killing the aquatic life there. Except removing the weed with the help of specialised boat ‘Jaldost’ provided by CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, NMC is clueless on how to ‘weed out’ this menace permanently. Eichhornia is a major environmental concern for the lake as it quickly re-invades the water body once it is cleaned. Due to a high rate of vegetative propagation, it forms dense mats that obstruct the waterways. To stop its growth in the water body has become a persisting challenge for the administration. NMC is taking help from the Government and private institutions to stop Eichhornia growth in Ambazari Lake but the situation is back to square one after every few days. So, once again, NMC deploys excavators. And the cycle goes on. Experts had claimed that the weed is spreading in the lake because of the discharge of sewage water from nearby areas into the lake.

 

However, according to Dr Shweta Banerjee, Superintending Engineer, Environment Department, NMC, this is just one of the reasons. “Discharge of sewage into the lake is just one reason behind the spread of the weed. There must be some more reasons which need to be explored,” Dr Banerjee told ‘The Hitavada’. Asked about NMC’s plan for finding a permanent solution to this problem, she replied that the civic body was ‘working’ on finding solutions, but presently it was removing the weeds from the lake on a daily basis. According to a research paper published in a journal named ‘Feedipedia’, Eichhornia weed affects all water-based economic activities including fishing and irrigation, and also water quality of a water body. Rajesh Pashine, a fisherman, agrees to this. “Me and my friends regularly visit the lake for fishing. We catch fish here and sell them in nearby markets. However, for the last few months, we have been noticing that fish in the lake are dying. The weed is causing trouble,” he said. As per the research paper, “Eichhornia can be pollinated through different mechanisms.

 

One such mechanism is anemophily, which is pollination by wind. This means that the wind can carry pollen from one plant to another, facilitating reproduction.” In case of Ambazari Lake, this appears to be a reason behind the weed continuing to pose a challenge to the civic body. A staff deployed in Ambazari Garden confirmed that the thick carpet of weed is settled mostly near the garden and the overflow point. The weed coming from the south-west direction of the lake settles near the garden due to wind. Besides, manpower deployed by NMC dumps the weed removed from the lake, along with other waste, in Bhandewadi but some quantum of the removed Eichhornia is still left behind on the banks of the lake. This dump releases bad odour.

 

More importantly, it poses the risk of proving to be a source for anemophily leading to regrowth of the weed in the water body. There may be other reasons too. However, at present, for want of any scientific study commissioned or any expert committee appointed to look into the matter, NMC continued to grapple with the Eichhornia menace. And, the iconic Ambazari Lake continues to suffer... due to neglect and lack of seriousness towards finding a solution to Eichhornia.