The State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) is running a one-month pilot at Kumarakom to control invasive water hyacinth in Vembanad Lake using robotic technology. The project is being implemented under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Vembanad is a major Ramsar Wetland Site and one of Kerala's most important aquatic ecosystems. It supports biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and local livelihoods, all of which an infestation of the weed puts at risk.
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a free-floating freshwater weed of the Pontederiaceae family and an invasive alien species. It is native to the Amazon Basin of South America and was introduced in many countries, India among them, as an ornamental plant for its purple flowers.
The plant reproduces rapidly and forms dense floating mats. These block sunlight and reduce dissolved oxygen, which affects aquatic biodiversity. Excessive growth causes eutrophication and chokes rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands, disrupting fisheries, navigation, irrigation channels, tourism and recreational use.
Three methods are established for managing water hyacinth: mechanical removal, biological control using Neochetina weevils, and reducing nutrient pollution and sewage discharge to prevent excessive growth. The Kumarakom pilot tests a robotic approach to removing the weed from the lake.
Harvested weed can be used for compost, bio-fertiliser, soil supplements, handicrafts and paper production. It can also be used for phytoremediation, the removal of pollutants from water.
With reference to the water hyacinth pilot project at Kumarakom, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Identify the plant on the basis of the following information:
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Water hyacinth infestation in Vembanad Lake puts at risk its biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and local livelihoods.
Statement-II: Water hyacinth forms dense floating mats that block sunlight and reduce dissolved oxygen, and its excessive growth causes eutrophication.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
