Weed-hit Srisailam is health hazard

KURNOOL: Afflicted with the worst aquatic weed in the world, Srisailam is now one of the biggest health hazards. It is even clogging irrigation canals, causing water blockages. The fresh waters of the Krishna at Srisailam reservoir at Srisailam have turned muddy, aiding the growth of the dreaded water weed, the water hyacinth, over a stretch of 30 acres, posing serious health problems for all those in the vicinity. The vast stretch of green carpet on the backwaters of Srisailam was never seen earlier. The water that is being pumped to serve the needs of pilgrims carries with it the unhygienic impurities and water-absorbed microbes, compounding the problem, said an engineer at the Srisailam dam site.

The fast growth of the ‘Water Hyacinth’ allowed the plant to build huge populations in its ranges of introduction, developing dense mats on the surface of the water and becoming a major weed problem. “Never have we seen such a swathe of green carpet in a fresh water reservoir like Srisailam,” said Mallikarjuna Reddy, the superintending Engineer at Srisailam.

He said that the rapid increase and spread of the plant into new areas is due particularly to its vegetative reproduction, with a single plant being able to develop very rapidly from a significant infestation. Narrating the green build-up in the water body, Reddy said that the Hundri river, which never had floods after 2009, has accumulated hyacinth on its course. During the October rains, all the hyacinth had flooded the Srisailam reservoir.