MAPUSA
While authorities are yet to come out with a plan to clear the water hyacinth that has been choking the Mapusa river and up stream, locals have taken up the onerous task to clear the invasive weed that has infested the river.
The deadly weed has been rapidly spreading its tentacles along a large stretch of the river in Mapusa, Bastora and Moira.
Concerned about the damage that the weed could cause to the flora and fauna of the river, a group of concerned villagers have come together to carry out the cleanup act.
“We have joined this project to clean up the river from the water hyacinth because it causes a lot of hardship to the local fishermen and damage to the aquatic life inside the river. A lot of people have come forward and joined us,” said Dr Greta.
The villagers are aware that this can at best be a temporary solution as the weed has the ability to multiply rapidly.
They also expect the concerned government departments to pitch in to find a permanent solution to the problem.
“At the moment we have started clearing the weeds but what is important is to address the root cause which helps the weed grow,” said Virgilia D’Sa, a resident of Moira.
She said the entry of fresh water and the sewage let out into the river were the main causes for the growth of water hyacinth.
Another villager, Beverly Mendes, who has been actively involved in the cleanup act, said the main task before the group was to clear the entire river of the water hyacinth.
“We have a plan to clear the water hyacinth that is choking the entire river line. We have embarked on a short, medium and long term solution to the problem. Our goal is to clear the entire weed menace along the river,” Mendes said.
According to an official of the Water Resource Department, the infestation of the weed was primarily due to the release of untreated sewage into the river.
“Nutrients from the sewage help the water hyacinth to proliferate,” he said.
He further said that just removing the weed will not resolve the problem and the government will have to adopt a holistic approach to tackle the problem.
While the locals have been doing their bit to clear the mess, the government, so far, has remained a silent spectator.
The response of the local self-governing bodies “ the lone Mapusa municipality and the panchayats “ has been tepid to say the least.
Recently, Aldona MLA, Carlos Ferreira had invited some department officials to conduct an inspection of the river vis-Ã -vis the spread of the water hyacinth.
Ferreira assured to get the government departments involved in clearing the weed menace that has infested the river.
