Guduvancherry Eri seems to be the target of a two-pronged attack from nature. Much of the lake has been taken over by water hyacinths and in the areas around it, Seemai Karuvelam trees are found.
The western section of the Guduvancherry Eri, abutting Guduvancherry Railway Station, is overrun with water hyacinths. This is one of the reasons for the reduction in the water-holding capacity of the waterbody. Water hyacinths are known to hinder flow of water.
As water hyacinths prevent sunlight from reaching other aquatic plants and ‘destroy’ them, the oxygen levels in the waterbody drops, resulting in the death of fish. P. Thirumalai, a resident of Guduvancherry, says, “If steps are not taken immediately to weed out the water hyacinths, they will soon cover the rest of the lake.” The waterbody comes under the jurisdiction of the Water Resources Department.
The water-sucking Seemai Karuvelam trees are found around the lake. Official sources at the Water Resources Department said work on restoration of waterbodies coming under the jurisdiction of Lower Palar Basin Division, Kancheepuram will be taken up next month.
Under this work, these waterbodies will be de-silted, deepened and rid of water hyacinths and Seemai Karuvelam trees. In addition to this, the bunds of these waterbodies will be strengthened, the sources added.
