Inflow of organic matter, quite commonly sewage, results in growth of water hyacinth. Therefore, removal of sources of pollution will substantially reduce the growth of water hyacinth in the river.
I fully agree with the researcher Paritosh. As the plant's production is large in aquatic water, I suggest the use of this plant in applications of use, to produce an increase in the income of the needy population of the region, such as the production of handicrafts: manufacture of handbags and household utensils common.
First, the use of Glyphosate or 2,4,D which are both Carcinogens, should be stopped. Anyone using that water down stream will be subjected to Cancer. From my experience, the best approach would be to limit the discharge of Nitrogen from the upstream WWTP's. What is going on is that you are feeding the Hyacinths just what they need to grow. If you drastically reduce the Nitrogen and other fertilizer run off, this will also help eliminate this rapid growth. You have very high BOD and High Nitrogen. This can be reduced and or eliminated by a high production of Aerobic microbes which will take down the Nitrogen and the BOD. There is a company who can put in a series of BioCleaner units which would do just what I am suggesting.
Throughout the tropical regions of the world, the invasive aquatic plant Water Hyacinth is blocking vast areas of lakes, rivers and canals. Water Hyacinth can double in volume every 12 to 18 days. It blocks harbours, destroys economic fisheries, paralyses hydro-electric power stations and encourages the spread of diseases such as malaria, cholera and bilharzia.The three main current control mechanisms,
Biological,
Chemical and
Manual, have only limited effect and can produce undesirable environmental consequences.
Biological control
Biological control is the use of host specific natural enemies to reduce the population density of a pest. Several insects and fungi have been identified as control agents for water hyacinth. These include a variety of weevils, moth and fungi. Biological control of water hyacinth is said to be environmentally benign as the control agents tend to be self-regulating. Control programmes are usually inexpensive due to the fact that the control agents are known and only a small numbers of staff are required to run such programmes. One major drawback is that it can take a long time to initiate such projects because it can take several years for the insect population to reach a population density sufficient to tackle the pest problem.
Chemical control
The application of herbicides for controlling water hyacinth has been carried out for many years. The common herbicides are 2,4-d, Diquat and Glysophate. It has been found that there is a good success rate when dealing with small infestations but less success with larger areas. Application can be from the ground or from the air and requires skilled operators. As mentioned earlier the main concern when using herbicides is the environmental and health related effects, especially where people collect water for drinking and washing.
Physical control
Mechanical removal of water hyacinth is seen as the best short-term solution to the proliferation of the plant. It is however costly, using either land-based ‘clamshell’ bucket cranes, draglines or booms or, alternatively, water based machinery such as mowers, dredges, barges or specially designed aquatic weed harvesters. Such methods are suitable for only relatively small areas. Many of these techniques require the support of a fleet of water and land-based vehicles for transporting the large quantities of water hyacinth which is removed. Manual removal of water hyacinth is suitable only for extremely small areas. It is difficult, labour intensive work and in some areas there are serious health risks associated with the work (crocodiles, hippopotamus and bilharzia in Lake Victoria for example).
Reduction of nutrient run-off into the water
Besides these three mainstream forms of control Harley, Julien and Wright suggest another method, namely the reduction of nutrient inputs to the water. Although strictly speaking this is a preventative method, it can be argued that a reduction in nutrients in the water body will result in a reduction in the proliferation of water hyacinth. In recent decades there has been a significant increase in the level of nutrients dumped into waterways from industrial and domestic sources as well as from land where fertilisers are used or where clearance has caused an increase in run-off. It seems that the systematic use of successive vetiver hedges along the river and lake beds, beside the positive impact on the bank protection, shows positive results in retaining nutrients, pollutants and sediments from the run-off to flow in the water.
I am from Surat and well aware about Hyacinth and its carcenogenic side effects on population consuming such water.
Most of the replies below are well in line with the fact that River Tapi (& all Indian rivers) should be free from sewage and effluents. However the fact is that none of the towns and villages in the upstream of Tapi have a genuinely good waste water treatment system. People of Surat pay for in-sufficient efflorts of concerned upstream town - village authorities.
Along with Hyacinth removal, Mehulbhai, you also should intitiate for studies on increased incidences of Cancer in the city. This will confirm the fact that Hyacinth accumulates heavy metals and same are dispersed when hyacinth decay in water body itself.
There can not be a single solution. SMC need to work out simultaneous set of holistic solutions wherein nutrient inflow is controlled, natural vortex aeration system ( stones which creat hurdles in flow are actually helpful for aeration of flowing water), competition for nutrients consumption in river etc.
We have technologies which can ensure 100% treated water discharged in the river, which can be implemented at rural & town level. We also have systems which can raise DO level in river water.
We would be happy to be a part of SMC team to fight pollution and hyacinth growth if you wish.
I am from Surat and well aware about Hyacinth and its carcenogenic side effects on population consuming such water.
Most of the replies below are well in line with the fact that River Tapi (& all Indian rivers) should be free from sewage and effluents. However the fact is that none of the towns and villages in the upstream of Tapi have a genuinely good waste water treatment system. People of Surat pay for in-sufficient efflorts of concerned upstream town - village authorities.
Along with Hyacinth removal, Mehulbhai, you also should intitiate for studies on increased incidences of Cancer in the city. This will confirm the fact that Hyacinth accumulates heavy metals and same are dispersed when hyacinth decay in water body itself.
There can not be a single solution. SMC need to work out simultaneous set of holistic solutions wherein nutrient inflow is controlled, natural vortex aeration system ( stones which creat hurdles in flow are actually helpful for aeration of flowing water), competition for nutrients consumption in river etc.
We have technologies which can ensure 100% treated water discharged in the river, which can be implemented at rural & town level. We also have systems which can raise DO level in river water.
We would be happy to be a part of SMC team to fight pollution and hyacinth growth if you wish.
I am from Surat and well aware about Hyacinth and its carcenogenic side effects on population consuming such water.
Most of the replies below are well in line with the fact that River Tapi (& all Indian rivers) should be free from sewage and effluents. However the fact is that none of the towns and villages in the upstream of Tapi have a genuinely good waste water treatment system. People of Surat pay for in-sufficient efflorts of concerned upstream town - village authorities.
Along with Hyacinth removal, Mehulbhai, you also should intitiate for studies on increased incidences of Cancer in the city. This will confirm the fact that Hyacinth accumulates heavy metals and same are dispersed when hyacinth decay in water body itself.
There can not be a single solution. SMC need to work out simultaneous set of holistic solutions wherein nutrient inflow is controlled, natural vortex aeration system ( stones which creat hurdles in flow are actually helpful for aeration of flowing water), competition for nutrients consumption in river etc.
We have technologies which can ensure 100% treated water discharged in the river, which can be implemented at rural & town level. We also have systems which can raise DO level in river water.
We would be happy to be a part of SMC team to fight pollution and hyacinth growth if you wish.
Water hyacinth can easily got rid off by keeping the carp fish of any kind which will gladly eat up the water hyacinth and also reduce the water pollution. But the fish will remain alive if sufficient water is made available in a flowing condition during the period Jan. to Jun. Whatever, water hyacinth remains, it can be removed and converted into bio-gas along with other bio material or converted into electricity if possible. These things have been tried out in India in Rajasthan on the Chambal river and canal system many years back. This has also been done in China.
Dear Mr. Mehul Patel, rivers in Pune, India, many times catch hyacinth. Our municipal corporation engages a contractor, who removes it. You should get in touch with Pune Municipal Corporation or even Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation for getting the rates, names of contractors etc.
Hyacinth removal is not a big problem. Idea must be to prevent it from happening. Regards,
E-mail me with water quality and photo, we will get back to you rapidly. hwoop@aol.com I am the director of Clean Rivers Trust and have helped in several parts of the world with regard to this problem. There is much that the plant can be used for!
As has been suggested by others Check for presence of toxic metals / other pollutants in Hyacinth.
Hyacinth can also be anaerobically digested. I remember a plant being in operation in Sangali area in south maharashtra being operated on water hyacinth. I do not know the present status.
Composting is another option but check for pollutants.
However both above are for handling WH after their removal from river.
THere have been reports of trials conducted by using insects and fishes who grow / feed on WH and which ultimately reduce the WH drastically.
Water Hyacinth is an accumulator heavy metals especially chromium and help in treating contaminated water through phytoremediation. If the river is fed with sewage water or industrial effluent then certainly water hyacinth will carry a good amount of heavy metals and thus not recommended for composting. Composting will concentrate the nutrient concentration and when used for edible food production it will contaminate the soil and heavy metals enter the food chain. The sewage water and agricultural runoff contains good amount of N and P that supports the growth. Hence only option left is identifying the source of N and P and controlling or diverting the channel. Water hyacinth is definitely treating the water and accumulating heavy metals but of no use for agriculture. Please check the Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni concentration in water hyacinth before composting.
First check the nutrients that make this plant grow rapidly, and remove these nutrients, possibly from domestic sewage or fertilizer used in agriculture. Once this is done, you can work with these plants for innovative applications and uses, such as oxalic acid sources.
This is also good idea to eradicate water hyacinth on water body. but the water consists of nutrients. removing nutrients is very tough job. instead go for mechanical clearing/ chemical spray and stop the inflow of nutrient water from their sources. if you control the inflow from the nutrent water may be successfull for the water hyacinth problem in Tapi River in India
Chickens like to eat water hyacinth, so if you can harvest it, you can feed to chickens (or hogs) and then have the animals concentrate into manure. Spraying will harm the entire ecosystem of the river, so is not a preferred strategy. While harvesting is labor intensive, you will be recovering a useful resource.
Watershed management is the best to improve water quality issues. This is a nutrient problem and you can manage nutrients upstream. it is important to establish diffuse pollution, which can be managed by means of increasing riparian zones width, more than 15m in agricultural lands. The point source pollution should be detected and solved with wetlands of treatment plants, it depends on the type and size of problem.
The main problem is nutrients entering the river through fecal pollution or farm & field water runoff getting mixed in the river. Until you stop this Nitrogen & Phosphorous entering the river water, you will have this recurring problem.
The more ecological and at the same time profitable solution is to use the hyacinth to produce compost then used as fertilizar. We made the business plan and production design for a local company that has a explotation concesion in Ecuador www. iconsersa.com. They are producing an organic fertilizer branded as ecogreen. You may visit their website at http://www.soamso.com/content/ecogreen.php and also a video about the production process: https://youtu.be/UQtpe8jD1hA . My email is ozavala@iconsersa.com in case you wish to contact me.
as a water expert, i have the solution but 1st tell me where is this place & the nearest airport for me to visit it, if you are willing to pay my airfare & all expenses plus my fee of RS 5,000/ . how much area in sq meters is the water covered with hycinth.
balbir singh-pune-chem.engg.-call me on 09766594544
If the water quality cannot be improved I suggest the following: aerial spraying to kill most of the plants - just so you can get ahead. Remove dead plants as much as possible or the decomposing matter will cause more problems, although this will be "once -off". Thereafter you will have to have a permanent physical removal program, which is labour intensive but is the most effective. The weevils are also very effective but takes a lot longer to make a significant impact.
I am inclined to agree with Dave (and not just because I am also from South Africa) and Sameer's comments - the reason why the hyacinth is growing in the first place is because your river water is nutrient rich (or to put it bluntly - polluted with organic waste material).
I believe Dave's solution will be your best bet in the long term - provided that you are able to implement a solution to eradicate the nutrient oversupply from the river - an example in South Africa where this has proven very difficult to achieve is the Hartebeespoort Dam, and the reason is that a lot of Johannesburg's wastewater is discharged into the dam's catchment rivers keeping the nutrient loading very high and encouraging Hyacinth growth. (Have a look at the site on Google earth)
Sameer's solution, to manage the growth, in the short term, although it is a long term solution as well, is your best bet whilst the river is contaminated with excess nutrients.
I can suggest a few options in this regard. If you're interested, contact me on email rob@selectra.co.za
Please email me on Dave@makroorganics.com so we can discuss your condition. I am based in South Africa but offer solutions to UK, UAE, South East Asia and now expanding to Asia (next week in Pakistan). Just removing hyacinth is not the solution and neither is killing it. It only gets worse once hyacinth starts decomposing , resulting in perfect conditions for "rapid aquatic plant expansion". We need to break the cycle and starve it...