BENGALURU: In a bid to balance the lake ecosystem and filter dirty water, over 150 volunteers made about 25 floating wetlands from recyclable material at Ulsoor Lake. These floating wetlands, which serve as a tiny ecosystem for the lake, contain around nine saplings each that absorb nutrients and convert them into oxygen as they drift around the lake, enhancing its ecological health.
These small floating ecosystems are easy to manage, allowing for the trimming of dead plant matter. This prevents the accumulation of additional biomass in the waterway and keeps the plants younger, so they can absorb more nutrients from the water.
The floating wetlands are made using durable, non-toxic materials such as PVC pipes for the base and floats, with nine saplings planted within the structure’s frame. These plants help absorb nutrients and potentially harmful elements from the water, while microorganisms on their roots break down.
Additionally, bacteria within the plants help degrade organic contaminants. The plants and their roots also offer a surface for beneficial microbes to grow, further enhancing the cleaning process. The initiative was taken up by EY Global Delivery Services (GDS), a strategic business solutions provider, in collaboration with Goodera, which hosts volunteering programmes and Vedanshi Foundation, an NGO working towards environmental sustainability.
Rumi Mallick Mitra, Director of CSR at EY-GDS, informed TNIE that instead of a traditional bamboo base, they opted for PVC because bamboo requires frequent chemical treatment to prevent rotting. These biological ecosystems provide a natural solution for cleaning polluted water bodies. Composed of plants, these wetlands help remove pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and toxins from freshwater. Additionally, the ecosystems also provide home to a variety of pollinators, insects, and birds, which further enhances biodiversity.