Nearly 1500 tonnes of water hyacinth removed from Powai lake in 10 days: BMC

A total of 1,450 metric tonnes of water hyacinth has been removed from Mumbai's Powai Lake in the last 10 days, civic officials said on Monday.

In a release, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation the operation to remove hyacinth was carried out between May 23 and June 1 using five harvester machines and additional manpower in two shifts to accelerate the clean-up process.

''The extracted water hyacinth is being transported to disposal sites outside Mumbai. The removal work is being carried out under guidance of experts from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to ensure minimal impact on local biodiversity,'' it added.

Powai Lake was built in 1891 to quench the thirst of Mumbai and spans a water spread area of 223 hectares with a catchment area of around 600 hectares.

The lake water is classified as non-potable, and some 5455 million litres per day (MLD) from it is used for various purposes other than drinking.

''The BMC had removed nearly 25,000 metric tons of water hyacinth using two machines in the last six months, but the plant, however, continues to proliferate at a much faster rate. Water hyacinth, if left unchecked, blankets the water surface, reduces sunlight penetration, depletes oxygen levels, and adversely affects aquatic biodiversity. This leads to disruptions in the food chain and deterioration in water quality,'' the civic release informed.

The civic body also claimed due care was taken to preserve the natural ecosystem and biodiversity while removing the invasive aquatic plants.

The growth of water hyacinth and other unwanted vegetation has been attributed to increasing urbanization and the inflow of untreated sewage into the lake. Presently 18 ML of untreated wastewater flows into the lake.

The release said that to address the root cause, BMC is working on redirecting sewage lines, while its Sewerage Projects Department has issued two tenders for the installation of a new sewer line and the construction of an 8 MLD sewage treatment plant on the site of the now-defunct Powai pumping station.

''The tendering process is in its final stages, with the Letter of Acceptance expected next week. Until a long-term solution is implemented, the pace of weed removal will be intensified, and six machines will be deployed post-monsoon to further strengthen the initiative,'' the release said.

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