Water hyacinth in Cauvery poses threat

NAMAKKAL: Water hyacinth, considered to be one of the  most dangerous aquatic species, has clogged the Cauvery river, posing a serious threat to people staying along the banks in the district.The Cauvery flows through the district for a distance of over 80 km, starting from Pallipalayam and ends at Oduvanthur near Mohanur.People living along the banks in Kumarapalayam bear the brunt of the hyacinth which thrives in contaminated water.The river and regulation points like Kumarapalayam and Raja channels are clogged by hyacinth.“Since the sewerage from Kumarapalayam and Pallipalayam municipalities and untreated effluents from dyeing units are let into the Cauvery, the dangerous aquatic species finds the conditions to grow fast,” P Jayaprakasam, a farmer of Kuppandapalayam told Express. The colour of the water has turned green due to the presence of the hyacinth. Germs and worms germinate on the polluted water.People living on Manimegalai street in Kumarapalayam said that they were afraid of entering  the river as they may contract some infection. “Once the river provided potable water to villages. But now we are scared even to touch the water. So bad is the state of the Cauvery water here,”  R Malar, a resident of Manimegalai Street said.Residents, particularly children, suffer from  sores, scabbies and abrasions if they venture into the river.