With its waterbodies choking under a thick carpet of densely intertwined weed for decades, Kottayam is now warming up to water hyacinth as a source of income.
With multiple attempts to clear the waterbodies of water hyacinth proving ineffective and expensive, the authorities are now looking to control the growth of the weeds through its economic utilisation. The Meenachil-meenanthara-Kodoor River re-linking project, a government-people collaborative that spearheads the river restoration project in Kottayam, has kick-started consultations in this regard with a Tamil Nadu-based natural fibre manufacturing unit.
Replicating success
A delegation led by the Nava Keralam Mission coordinator T.N. Seema held discussions with Rope – a start-up from Madurai. The plan takes a cue from the success of Neelamperoor Panchayat, Alappuzha, in tackling the menace, said K. Anil Kumar, coordinator of the river restoration project.
As per the plan, workers under the employment guarantee scheme will collect the hyacinth from the waterbodies and separate its stalk from leaf and roots. These stalks will then be handed over to the company for ₹10 per kg.
“While the waterbodies will get rid of the weed, the workers will be earning through the sale of these stalks and that too without making any capital investment. The labour groups in Neelamperoor, for instance, have earned around ₹15 lakhs through the sale of weed stalks weighing about 1.5 lakh kg,’’ he explained.
Major impediment
The invasive weed, with no natural predators and perfect climatic conditions, gobbles up most of the waterbody network in the region during the summer, choking off the natural water flow and providing a new habitat for mosquitoes. Over the years, the plant has severely affected two key activities in the region – inland fishery and tourism.
Accumulated in the form of a thick mat, the weed severely impacts biodiversity by preventing the entry of sunlight and oxygen to the waters.
“The need to deal with the water weed is immediate in Kottayam as the efforts so far to control its growth including biological control have all proven futile,” noted a senior official with the Irrigation department.
The authorities, meanwhile, have kick-started a drive to clean up a key stretch of the Kodoor river from Puthupally to the Nattakom Port, which remains choked by the weeds and silt formation, in view of the monsoon. A Detailed Project Report for removing the silt, soil and hyacinth accumulated in the Vembanad Lake too has been submitted to the World Bank seeking financial assistance.
