After successfully clearing blanket of invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia) from the surface of Ambazari Lake after an arduous multi-month operation, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is putting in place a comprehensive long-term roadmap to prevent resurgence of the weed. With dormant seeds embedded in the silt and fresh shoots sprouting along the banks, civic authorities are combining shoreline mechanical removal with watershed sanitation measures. While the central reservoir is currently free of hyacinth, juvenile plants have cropped up along lake edges. Explaining the on-ground challenges, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Bhagat noted that sustained, year-round vigil is critical, “Although the central water expanse is clear, dormant seeds embedded in the lakebed inevitably germinate over time. Because the current shoots along the banks are small, heavy aquatic harvester machinery faces difficulty navigating shallow margins.”

 

“We have deployed dedicated machinery at the lake, including harvesters on the water and excavators like JCBs and poclains along the perimeter where boats cannot reach. Year-round mechanical extraction and shoreline monitoring will continue,” Bhagat added. However, civic officials emphasise that mechanical clearing alone cannot provide a permanent remedy without halting sewage inflows.

 

Highlighting the long-term solution, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ankit said, “We are removing fresh growth manually and mechanically as soon as it surfaces. However, the permanent solution to the hyacinth menace hinges on commissioning the Wadi sewage treatment plant (STP). Once the Wadi STP becomes operational, untreated domestic sewage entering Ambazari Lake will be cut off, depriving the weed of the organic nutrients essential for its proliferation.” Commenting on the execution, corporator Yogesh Pachpor said, “We are keeping strict vigil and will not allow hyacinth to expand again.” “Four personnel are removing shoreline growth manually alongside daily machinery. Furthermore, the Rs 5 crore outlay stands earmarked in the Standing Committee for procuring a machinery for de-silting,” Pachpor added. With trial runs of the Wadi STP nearing completion, the civic body aims to institutionalise continuous surveillance to keep Ambazari pristine and weed-free.