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Mangaliso Kabulika
THE National Research Foundation has called for the extraction of the water hyacinth plant at Lake Chivero and use it to create handicrafts, animal feed and fertilisers to boost the local economy.
Water hyacinth is a major freshwater weed in most of the frost-free regions of the world and is generally regarded as the most troublesome aquatic plant.
Addressing a Water Hyacinth Project First Stakeholders Consultation meeting yesterday, researcher, Dr Timothy Dube, urged for the extraction of the water hyacinth and using it to create handicrafts, animal feed, fertilisers and fuel.
Dube said this would improve livelihoods of communities around the lake.
“We cannot do away with the water hyacinth around Lake Chivero, but communities around the lake can extract it and make handicrafts, animal feed, fertiliser and fuel,” said Dube.
Environmental Management Agency provincial environment manager for Mashonaland West, Rambwayi Mapako, said the increased growth of the water hyacinth was directly related to ongoing pollution, dating back to pre-independence.
“There is a need for continued stakeholder and community engagement to come up with solutions to ensure that sewage is treated before it is deposited into the lake as this is prompting the increase in hyacinth,” said Mapako.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter