In a recent report, we made an observation that water hyacinth poses a stubborn challenge and that sometimes, government agencies maintaining waterbodies or waterways can be stretched to their limits trying to meet it.
Now, we can tell with almost epigrammatic clarity the degree to which these agencies can be stretched. Here are some tell-tale numbers.
On the morning of October 18, the Sholinganallur stretch of the Buckingham Canal which is being put through a hyacinth-removal exercise, was totally free of this invasive weed, as is evident from the photo taken at 8:39:32 a.m on that day.
Buckingham Canal on October 18, 2018 at 8:39 a.m.
However, the following day, the water hyacinth was back. Back with a vengeance, one should say. This was nothing short of an overnight invasion, as the photo taken at 10:24:08 a.m., shows.
The ambhibian vehicle was once again ploughing into this new layer of green. Further away, floating islands of water hyacinth, were progressing towards this mass near the bridge which is part of the ECR Link Road and through which the Buckingham Canal flows.
So, the baffling question was: “What’s happening?”
Clearing water hyacinth on the Sholinganallur stretch had ensured freer flow of water in the Canal, and as a result, water hyacinth found elsewhere was moving up and clogging this stretch once again.
There is a theory that water hyacinth in the Pallikaranai marsh finds into way into into the Thoraipakkam-Karapakkam-Sholinganallur section of the Buckingham Canal.
Water in the Pallikaranai marsh drains into the Buckingham Canal through a nearly three-kilometre-long channel called Okkiyam Maduvu.
Water hyacinth has a biological feature enabling it to float freely. So, displacement doesn’t mean the end of them and they will thrive, even as they pushed up a waterway.
More trouble flowing in.
Now, to deal with the immediate problem, which is making this stretch of the Canal hyacinth-free once again, the Greater Chennai Corporation is extending its operation.Through the Buckingham Canal comes under the Public Works Department, GCC clearing the canal of water hyacinth about 10 days ago, pressed one of its amphibian vehicles into service, as part of flood-preparedness work.
S. Baskaran, zonal officer of Zone 15 (Sholinganallur zone) however, doesn’t seem to be surprised by the re-invasion.
“It is not possible to eliminate water hyacinth completely but it can be kept under check by periodic desilting. The waterbodies linked to Buckingham Canal are also infested with hyacinth and it is possible that the weeds are flowing from there,” he said.
Environment activists had earlier told The Hindu Downtown that water hyacinth thrivedon the nutrients from sewage and preventing discharge of sewage into the waterbodies and waterways was necessary to check the growth and spreading of the invasive plant.
The waterway has to desilted, but the decision on when and how to do this has to be taken by the Public Works Department.
