NMC deploys harvester in Ambazari lake and JCBs on banks to check water hyacinth regrowth

Nagpur, October 31: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has begun a two-pronged effort to keep Ambazari lake free of water hyacinth (Eichhornia). After months of work, the large central part of the lake has been cleared. But new hyacinth plants have started sprouting again from seeds buried in the marshy edges.

To deal with this, the civic body is running an underwater harvester machine. JCB and poclain machines have been deployed to clear the banks.

According to NMC Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Bhagat, the water in the middle of the lake is clear for now. But hyacinth seeds buried at the bottom are sprouting again as soon as conditions suit them. The new plants on the edges are still small. There is little water and more marsh there, so clearing with a heavy aquatic harvester is difficult. In areas that boats or harvesters cannot reach, the work is being done with JCB and poclain machines.

Bhagat said a single clean-up will not end the water hyacinth problem. It needs regular monitoring and machine clearing through the year. Arrangements are being made to remove new plants as soon as they appear, so that the weed does not spread again.

NMC officials believe that clearing with machines alone is not enough to control water hyacinth. Untreated domestic sewage entering the lake must also be stopped.

NMC Additional Commissioner Ankit said fresh growth is being removed regularly by hand and with machines. According to him, the lasting solution will come only when the Wadi sewage treatment plant (STP) starts operating. Once it is running, untreated domestic sewage flowing into Ambazari lake can be stopped. That will reduce the organic nutrients reaching the water, which are counted among the main reasons for the rapid growth of water hyacinth.

Corporator Yogesh Pachpor said the banks are being monitored continuously to stop water hyacinth from growing back. Four workers are removing the hyacinth growing on the banks by hand every day. Machine clearing is also under way.

To make the clean-up last, the NMC has made a provision of Rs 5 crore in the standing committee for buying a special machine to remove marsh material. The trial run of the Wadi STP is also close to completion. After it begins operating, the NMC wants to put in place a system of regular monitoring to control sewage flow into the lake and prevent the hyacinth from growing back.