Water Hyacinth

In News

• Recently, water hyacinth was used to make eco-friendly products, generate employment in rural West Bengal.

Water Hyacinth

• About:
  • Scientifically known as Eichhornia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae)
  • It is an aquatic weed common in water bodies across South Asia, including India. 
  • This is not an indigenous species but was introduced to India during the British colonial rule as an ornamental aquatic plant from South America. 
  • The plant produces beautiful purple flowers that have high aesthetic value. 
• Usage: 
  • The plant has been used as a bio-fertiliser in some organic agriculture practices.
  • It has been reported that this plant is a good phytoremediation species, suggesting it has the ability to trap and remove toxic metabolites and harmful heavy metals from water. 
  • But more research needs to be conducted to find suitable use for the notorious weed.

Image Courtesy: DTE

• Concerns:
  • It is an obnoxious weed that has been suffocating surface freshwater sources like rivers, rivulets, streams, ponds, dams, lakes and bogs.
  • It makes the water bodies unsuitable for commercial fishery, transportation and recreation.
  • It is an expensive and labour-intensive process to remove this weed from time to time. 
  • This water hyacinth has become a serious problem plant for the ecosystem. 
  • The plant is a prolific vegetable matter-producer and has the ability to choke out any closed waterbody at an astonishing rate. 
  • This cuts off sunlight as well as reduces oxygen level in the water, making it unfit for commercial use. 

Source: DTE