Channeling the menace of water hyacinth into useful goods

During the restoration of Keni Kulam, a 10-acre pond in Sholinganallur, 180 tonnes of water hyacinth was removed and sent to the Perungudi dump yard by the Greater Chennai Corporation. Water hyacinth has been one of the many causes for the degradation of the waterbody. 

“Water hyacinth is an indication of sewage inflow into the waterbody,” said a Corporation official. Water hyacinth invades and takes over the waterbody, said Jayshree Vencatesan, managing trustee of Care Earth Trust, which is involved with the restoration of the waterbody. 

“This alien species can choke the wetlands by not allowing sunlight to penetrate, causing eutrophication,” added the expert. 

Corporation officials and experts pointed out the need for an alternative method to efficiently dispose or reuse water hyacinth. “Water hyacinth can be used as compost. But that is not happening because Tamil Nadu doesn’t have a notified list of invasive alien species. Kerala is the only state with an official list of invasive alien species. Tamil Nadu has to notify that and only after that, we can get an understanding on how to handle it,” said Jayshree. 

In Kerala, a state-wide project to use water hyacinth is under discussion. Centre for Research on Aquatic Resources (CRAR) at S D College in Alappuzha, has used water hyacinth pulp to create a range of products – from egg and fruit trays to canvas, disposable plates and planters. G Nagendra Prabhu, associate professor, PG Department of Zoology and principal investigator at CRAR, said that water hyacinth in any form (dry, fresh or rotten) can be used to make useful products. 

“Once pulped, it gets a clay-like structure, which can be used to make canvas for painting or handicrafts. The dry form can be converted into briquettes and we have experimented using water hyacinth for floating agriculture in a canal in Alappuzha with the help of residents’ welfare association. 

Floating agriculture is popular in countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh,” said the researcher, who is offering training programmes to urban local bodies on maximising the use of water hyacinth.