Nagpur, India- The need to protect the environment and especially an important water body, the people of Nagpur joined forces with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) in a major effort to remove Eichhornia weeds from Ambazari Lake. This Sunday event showcased the cooperation between the civic body and citizens, aimed at restoring the natural beauty of Ambazari Lake, the city's largest water body.

The NMC had started a big project to get rid of the Eichhornia and asked for help from the public. On Sunday, residents came together at the lake to help officials pull out the water hyacinth that had been covering the lake for a long time. Regular swimmers at the lake led the effort to remove the weeds. The NMC used heavy machinery, including 10 poclain machines, 10 JCBs, 20 tippers, boats, and other required equipment. The swimmers formed a human chain to pull out the weeds, which were then placed on the dam. The NMC workers quickly moved the weeds into tippers for disposal.

Members of the Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) also helped, along with locals and environmentalists. Eichhornia grows quickly, so it was important to remove as much as possible before the monsoon season. Municipal Commissioner Dr. Abhijeet Chaudhari praised the citizens, swimmers, and environmentalists for their efforts in helping to clean Ambazari Lake. The NMC has been continuously working to remove the water hyacinth, but it keeps growing back. To find a permanent solution, the NMC asked NEERI for help.

In response to NMC's request for volunteers, hundreds of young people, swimmers, and others arrived early in the morning to help. Various NGOs and employees from different civic departments also joined in. Notable participants included Dr. Gajendra Mahalle, Dr. Deepak Selokar, Dr. Narendra Bahirwar, Prakash Varade, Ashok Gharote, B.P. Chandankhede, Vijay Gurubaxani, Veersen Tambe, Kaustubh Chaterjee, Dr. Amit Samarth, and members of several local groups.

The NMC has asked NEERI to find a long-term solution for the Eichhornia problem in Ambazari Lake. Dr. Gajendra Mahalle said the current weed removal efforts are only temporary. NEERI scientists are studying the lake water and will soon provide their recommendations. Sunday's cleanup focused on the western side of the lake, near the MIDC area, to start removing the weeds from the source. The weeds are dried on the banks before being disposed of.