MADURAI: Pointing out the threat of invasive water hyacinths in water bodies including tanks and rivers in the district, environmental activists sought action towards the regular harvesting of hyacinths to control their bloom. During the recent corporation council meeting, Ward 71 councillor V Muniyandi highlighted the problems and urged city council and the mayor to address the issues. Water hyacinth is present in major water bodies such as Vandiyur lake, Avaniyapuram lake, Viraganur regulator etc. The depletion of nutrients from water sources is vital for preserving the water. The corporation commissioner said officials are already taking actions towards the removal of the invasive plant species."We will also clean the tanks situated within the city, Improper disposal leaves water bodies to be filled with hyacinths, taking us back to square one," he added.
"Traditional water hyacinths are being cleared and dumped as garbage with an average cost of Rs 25,000 per tank, despite the species having some qualities to reduce pollution. Most of its ill-effects are caused only if left uncleared for a long time. The government can establish facilities which can convert water hyacinths to fibre, like the exciting facility in Kallupatti. Employment opportunities can also be provided for harvesting water hyacinths, later shifting it to fibre industries, which can be an effective way to solve the problem," said N Venkatesan, project head of Dhan foundation which works on environmental issues.