Although the hyacinth was recently removed from the Dersley Dam, the problem has not been eradicated as the plants are slowly growing again.
According to ward 72 councillor Ramesh Sheodin, the plant multiplies by 400 bulbs per month.
The entire dam was consumed by this fast growing weed which carpeted the entire surface of the dam earlier this year.
When Sheodin visited the dam in September, Sikhonyane Lerotholi from the metro’s environmental department informed him they have signed a two-year contract with a service provider to clear the hyacinth and the growth will be monitored.
“If they don’t check the growth of the bulbs left behind regularly, the plant will soon take over the entire dam again,” he says.
The removal of the plants, which consumed the entire dam, started on September 13.
Work to remove the plants took about two months.
Sheodin was impressed with the metro taking a stance against the hyacinth problem at the time, but feels they should regularly monitor the growth of the plant.
“My only concern is that there are still a few water hyacinth plants remaining on the verges of the dam, which will multiply in a short time and fill the dam again,” he says.
The dam is a popular spot for fisherman who claim they catch good fish from the dam.
“The municipality have assured me the clean up will take place on a continual basis as millions of rand has been budgeted for the elimination of these weeds,” says Sheodin.
The metro appointed the first contractor to remove the hyacinth plaguing the dam in May.
However, the contract only allowed two months which was according to Sheodin, not nearly enough.
Dersley resident Marie Buchner says they all knew the plants would grow back sooner than they had been removed by the both contractors.
“The new contractor should regularly monitor the dam to prevent the growth of the plant,” says Buchner.
No comment was received by the metro at the time of publishing.
