A visitor is being explained the process of extracting fibre from hyacinth at an exhibition held recently in Tiruchi

| Photo Credit: C. Jaisankar

Even as water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic species causing ecological, economic and social issues, poses trouble to civic bodies and other government agencies which spend huge amount of resources to clear the growth from water bodies and rivers, a group of students and faculty members of Jamal Mohamed College in Tiruchi has claimed that yarn can be made from hyacinth.The findings of the project, which started in May, were demonstrated at a recently-concluded industrial exhibition conducted by the Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association in Tiruchi.Upon finding that hyacinth possessed material for producing yarn, two students, R. Shifana and A. Sumiya of the Department of Nutrition and Zoology, harvested about 10 kg of hyacinth from Uyyakondan canal in Tiruchi. After cleaning, the plants were sorted into stems and leaves. The wax in the plants was subsequently removed.Thereafter, the students, with the participation of faculty members including V.C. Archana of Fashion Technology and Costume Designing, A. Arul Nangai of Department of Chemistry, A. Sangeetha of Department of Nutrition and P. Dhanalakshmi of the Department of Zoology, subjected the plants under retting, a process to separate bast fibre by rotting the stalks in water for 30 days.Blended with cottonThe team members, thereafter, sent the fibre material to a Coimbatore-based company for blending with cotton. “We feel the blended fibre is a game changer in transforming waste to wealth. The hyacinth yarn can be widely used for producing clothes. As a follow-up measure, we have decided to subject the material for spinning and knitting,” says Ms. Archana, showcasing the fibre extracted from hyacinth.Ms. Shifana said a wide range of products, including diapers, organic manure and vegetable baskets, could be made from hyacinth.Wins praiseCongratulating the team members, Kumar Jayant, Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Investments Corporation (TIIC), who visited the stall, told The Hindu that the finding was encouraging and interesting. More intensive research should be undertaken on the commercial value of hyacinth. Published - September 24, 2025 07:29 pm IST