The Department of Water Resources has said that paucity of funds has affected the timely removal of water hyacinths from the Kadambrayar river as the proliferation of the weed has restricted water flow.
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The lack of funds posed a challenge to the Irrigation department as weed removal is a consistent process, according to an action taken report submitted by the department before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal on April 25.
The department has been focusing on removal of water hyacinths to ensure proper flow of water in Edachira Thodu, a key tributary of the Kadambrayar. The cleaning of the river stretch from Manakkakadavu to Kozhichira was part of projects initiated in the 2023-24 fiscal, it said.
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In its report submitted before the tribunal on April 25, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board had said that the primary pollution challenge facing the Kadambrayar stemmed from the proliferation of water hyacinth. The availability of water is high during the rainy season. During summer, the entire flow gets restricted due to less quantity of water and excessive growth of vegetation, it said.
The report pointed out that the obstruction resulted in water stagnation, facilitating the accumulation of nutrients, mainly phosphates and nitrates in the riverbed. The excessive deposition of these nutrients fosters the growth of algae and water hyacinth. As the algal blooms flourish, they eventually decay turning the water black and leading to fall in oxygen levels in it. Oxygen depletion is a significant contributor to increased organic loading, measured as biological oxygen demand in the river, it said.
The waterbody passes through Edathala, Kizhakkambalam, Kunnathunad, and Thrikkakara before joining the Chitrapuzha near Ambalamugal.