Water Hyacinth Returns

By Charles Ariko INTENSIVE mechanical harvesting of the water hyacinth will start next week at Port Bell, Luzira. This follows its fast multiplication in Lake Victoria. The head of the Water Hyacinth Control Unit, Mr. Omar Wadda, told The New Vision yesterday that the return of the weed at Port Bell was due to the conducive conditions for it in Africa's largest lake. Wadda said the water which drains into the lake from the Nakivubo Channel, contains nutrients that favour the growth the weed. "We consider Port Bell as a nursery for the weed before it spreads," Wadda said, adding that other methods of control like manual harvesting would also be used. He said after the harvesters are used, weevils that feed on the weed would be introduced on the shoreline to clear the weed. He said mechanical harvesting was only possible in deep waters of the lake.where the waters are deep. Wadda said each district that surrounds the lake had been given a tank to keep the weevils. Ends