WATCH: New MMC unveils plan to rid lakes of hyacinth

As part of World Wetlands Day, which is today (February 2), MMC for Environmental Resource and Waste Management André du Plessis officially launched the metro’s long-awaited plan for eradicating hyacinth from the region’s lakes and dams.

Speaking to community interest groups and other stakeholders alongside the department’s acting HOD Daniel Masemola, at Middle Lake in Benoni yesterday morning, du Plessis reiterated that removing the plants from dams is only treating the symptom of the problem and that proper steps need to be taken to remedy the cause, which is sewage.

“We can continue removing the hyacinth from the water, however, the project aims to also get the department of water and sanitation to address the continuous flow of sewage, which is essentially creating a breeding ground for the plants,” he said.

“We have identified several bodies of water where we will be introducing three facets of eradication. This will give us a clearer indication of which approach works best and will be the most sustainable.”

Areas that will form part of the pilot project will include Brakpan Dam, President Steyn Dam (Springs), Witfield Dam (Boksburg), Middle Lake and Homestead Dam.

During a demonstration held at Middle Lake, the metro unveiled its plan of action.

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The metro will introduce mechanical, chemical, bio-remediation and biological control agents.

“At Middle Lake, we have taken a mechanical approach, which sees the plants being removed with the use of an amphibian excavator and Watermaster machine,” du Plessis explained.

“This element was undertaken approximately three months ago and is a daily function. The process was stalled due to the high volumes of rain, resulting in the plants’ resurgence.

“Once the plants are removed, they are left to dry and then disposed of and used as manure.”

Another facet of the eradication plan is the use of herbicides that have been approved for use by the national department of water and sanitation.

Under the adjusted budget, R500 000 has been allocated, however, requests have been made for more funds to be made available for the various projects under the new financial cycle.

Homestead Dam has been identified by the Centre for Biological Control of Rhodes University to become part of the biological control agent study.

This means insects called plant hoppers (megamelus sculellaris) will be released on the plants.

According to Dr Rosali Smith, who also attended the site visits yesterday, the insects exclusively feed on hyacinth, which will naturally eradicate the plants.

“Once their food source is depleted, the insects grow wings and migrate to other hyacinth-feeding grounds,” she said. “This is a sustainable process where nature takes its course.

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“This process is not a quick solution, such as spraying the plants, however, it is beneficial to the environment.”

Chairperson of the Homestead Dam Conservancy Chinton Patel was elated with the decision to include the dam in the biological control agent pilot programme.

“Our conservancy was formally established last year, but for the past 20 years, members of the community have actively worked to manually remove the hyacinths,” he said.

“We have successfully removed 99% of the plants and do so regularly to ensure new clusters do not sprout.

“We are happy to receive the biological control agents in our waters, as we are seeking a long-term sustainable solution to the problem that will not negatively impact our dam’s natural biodiversity.”

While many in attendance questioned the metro’s ability to sustain the project of this magnitude, which will not only see the eradication of the hyacinth but also ensure it will not once again take root, du Plessis reiterated that the metro is committed to seeing the project through and ensuring the dams and lakes are remedied to an optimal level.

“We want our bodies of water to return to their former beauty, which will see plant and wildlife flourishing,” he said.

“With the help of communities and other stakeholders, this is possible. We just need to persevere, jump into action and focus on maintaining every facet of the project.”

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