The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has deployed an extensive fleet of heavy machinery, including tippers, poclains and a specialised weed-harvesting machine brought from Delhi, besides engaging a large workforce, to tackle the ecological crisis at Ambazari Lake. Although the civic body claims it is removing nearly 200 tonnes of water hyacinth every day, many residents say the pace of work on the ground remains far from satisfactory.
Explaining the current status of the clean-up, Yogesh Pachpor, Corporator of Prabhag 13(A), said nearly 70-80 per cent of the lake has been cleared of water hyacinth. He added that the inflow of weeds has been stopped near the gabion bridge and the commissioning of the Wadi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in August is expected to significantly reduce the problem.
“The progress is slow because the remaining hyacinth is floating in deep-water areas where only one recently procured harvesting machine can operate. The NMC is planning to procure another similar machine from WCL, which will speed up the work,” Pachpor said.
However, the civic body’s failure to meet the three-week deadline has drawn criticism from residents and morning walkers, many of whom believe valuable summer months have been lost while the clean-up continues at a sluggish pace. The delay has fuelled public resentment, with some taxpayers questioning the efficiency of the operation and others alleging a waste of public funds.
When The Hitavada visited Ambazari Lake on Thursday afternoon, a weed-harvesting machine and two poclains were seen operating in the deeper sections of the lake. Observations at the site also indicated that the lake’s water level has dropped considerably this year, with a large concentration of water hyacinth accumulating near the dam. With the arrival of the monsoon, concerns are mounting that the remaining 20-30 per cent of hyacinth could spread again if not removed quickly, potentially undoing months of clean-up efforts.
Although the NMC has undertaken pre-monsoon measures such as filling potholes and cleaning stormwater drains, the city has already experienced disruptions following light rainfall. Several incidents of tree collapses have been reported, particularly involving old, leaning and partially uprooted trees that residents had earlier identified as hazardous.
Officials and residents alike fear that unless the remaining weeds are cleared without delay, monsoon runoff could disperse the hyacinth across the lake once again, undermining the substantial expenditure and effort invested in the clean-up drive.
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