Health alert sounded

Amaravati: The health of residents in Vijayawada, Guntur and Amaravati cities, who are consuming Krishna water lifted from the Prakasam Barrage is in danger, as water hyacinth is spreading on the river rapidly from one end to the other over a stretch of 400 metres. It has to brought under control.

The abnormal spread and growth of trees is visible near the upstream side of Berm Park and at various places across the two sides of the river for at least one km distance from the Prakasham Barrage. The water from the Prakasam Barrage is being transported for domestic consumption for the residents of Vijayawada, Guntur and some villages in the capital city Amaravati. It is here that water hyacinth forms like floating weed and appears like a floating mat on the river.

Due to the stagnation of water, it is expanding from the barrage to upstream of river at a fast pace. The officials estimated that it has spread from two lakh square metres to three lakh square metres at the barrage itself.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr C Brahmaji, coordinator, environmental sciences Department at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur, said that due to the high content of phosphate and sulphur in the water, the hyacinth weeds were growing at an abnormal rate.

He said that the water hyacinth would weed out all the nutrients and they would not be available for the underwater micro-organisms and fish. Light which is transmitted into the deep water will be absorbed by the water hyacinth and it would also prevent the heat from the entering the water, Dr Brahmaji added. This will result in the drastic reduction of the dissolved oxygen content in water, he added.

Dr Brahmaji said that as the dissolved oxygen gets reduced, the fish would die due to respiratory problems. He said that the fish would die and float on the water, if the management does not take precautionary measures. Moreover, Dr Brahmaji said that the decomposed materials give rise to pathogenic bacteria like e-coli, bacillus and other pathogens under water hyacinth. Epidemics may outbreak if it steps to control it were not taken, he added.

It would in turn lead to health problems if the contaminated water was consumed. He said that the water must be chemically treated but such facility was not there here right now. “We are using the water through physical treatment only”, he added.

On the other hand, the officials concerned, when contacted, claimed that they started taking steps to remove water hyacinth. Assistant executive engineer at the Prakasam Barrage V Dinesh informed that they have been removing it but were facing troubles in the work. As it spread more than two lakh square metres on the river at the barrage, this became very difficult to remove, he added.