Perungudi Lake, which had not seen water hyacinths for nearly a decade, has witnessed their rapid spread for the first time in recent months, raising concerns among members of the Perungudi Lake Area Neighbourhood Environment Transformation (PLANET) Association over the lake’s water quality and ecosystem.
PLANET members organised a lake-cleaning programme on Saturday to manually remove water hyacinth. The association hoped the exercise and wider public attention would prompt the Greater Chennai Corporation, Public Works Department (PWD), and Water Resources Department (WRD) to extend support for clearing the weed and protecting the lake.
Shaju John of PLANET said the invasive weed, which grows mainly in contaminated water, was restricting water movement, increasing stagnation and reducing oxygen levels in the lake. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Shaju John of PLANET said the invasive weed, which grows mainly in contaminated water, was restricting water movement, increasing stagnation and reducing oxygen levels in the lake. Over 1,000 fish died during May and June this year, he said. The group has been manually removing the weed, though the lake's depth makes it difficult for volunteers to enter the water. He said sewage from some households was being discharged through an old stormwater drain, while residents from nearby Kallukuttai and encroachments on the lake’s banks were also using the lake for washing, contributing to pollution.
