Kerala: Artificial wetlands to curb hyacinth growth in water

ALAPPUZHA: In order to tackle the sewage waste management crisis in Alappuzha’s canals and lagoons, Nagpur-based CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) has offered support of its ‘phytorid’ technology that involves a constructed wetland exclusively designed for treatment of municipal, urban, agricultural and industrial wastewater. Dr. Joy Elamon, Director, Kerala institute of Local Administration (KILA), which invited a team of NEERI scientists to study the situation in Alappuzha, said that the team of scientists led by Dr Ritesh Vijay (NEERI’s centre for strategic urban management and technical cell) had offered their service.
 

“We already have a collaboration with IIT Mumbai. They had introduced NEERI’s technology. We invited them since it’s a public sector institution. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will only be signed at the government level,”, said Dr Elamon.  KILA decided to consider the technical support of NEERI after all canals in the area got completely covered with water hyacinths. The study found that the reason as the dumping of organic wastes including those from kitchens and septic tanks. The study also found that removing hyacinths was not a permanent solution. The only solution was that waste water had to be treated at the source to stop hyacinths growing. 

In this technology, it’s understood that the quality of treated water is excellent and it meets the prescribed and amended norms of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A scientist with NEERI told DC that they had technology to revive the canal. NEERI research under Dr Vijay, who is the expert in the field, has developed technology to treat wastewater. “The technology uses specific plants to absorb nutrients directly from waste water. NEERI will be able install phytorids at the land adjacent to the canals. The treated water with the technology can be used for gardening or floriculture. The technology can ensure treated water enters the canals to increase the dilution. The team visited Alappuzha to study the geographical features of Alappuzha,” the scientist said.