Alappuzha: A group of students from the SD College in Alappuzha has prepared eco-friendly invitation letters and miniature snake boats (chundan vallams), for the upcoming Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NBTR), from water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic weed.
Members of EichhoTech, a student startup, have come out with the initiative as part of their efforts to put the water hyacinth, locally known as ‘kula vazha’, to better use. The weeds grow in abundance in ponds, lakes, and rivers, threatening marine species and obstructing navigation.
“The speciality of the invitation letter is that it’s entirely made of eco-friendly materials,” said Sub collector Sooraj Shaji, who is also the secretary of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society. “On the day of the event, replicas of snake boats made from dried stems of water hyacinth will be presented to guests,” he said.
The students, led by Dr G Nagendra Prabhu, Head of the Zoology Department, are also readying pens and writing pads made using water hyacinth to be distributed on the race day.
The startup had earlier made water hyacinth-based products such as fridge magnets, coasters, mats, lamp shade sculptures, bookmarks, rakhis, and greeting cards.
Alappuzha is in a festive fervor ahead of the 69th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, which is scheduled to take place at the Punnamada Lake on August 12.
Meanwhile, District Collector Haritha V Kumar convened a meeting to discuss and plan similar initiatives aimed at making value-added products using water hyacinths, which have invaded the water bodies of the district.
“The meeting discussed the possibility of preparing manure, handicraft products, bio-gas, and mats using the weed, which will also result in their removal from the water bodies,” officials said.
It was decided to start collecting the weed in Purakkad and Ambalappuzha panchayats on an experimental basis.
